A concert on Saturday night (June 10) in Airdrie brought great awareness to a subject that many people are afraid to talk about.  

Sean McCann, formerly of Great Big Sea, put on a concert for mental health awareness that Kim Titus, the Chair of the Thumps Up Foundation, described as "magical."

"It wasn't just an event, it was an experience.  People came and came together.  You could feel it in the room.  It wasn't just sitting in a chair enjoying the music, it was everything we wanted it to be.  People came in their various groups and they left feeling they had shared something very, very special."

Although the original venue of the Town and Country Centre had to be changed to the Woodside Golf Club because of water damage at the T and C, Titus says, considering everything, the night couldn't have been better.  "The crowd was great.  The support that we got, the room was full, the people that were there were meant to be there."

McCann himself has been through issues of abuse and addiction and it was his willingness to share that Titus felt brought the people at the concert together.  "Sean allows himself to be vulnerable in front of strangers and that's what we're trying to do is break down those barriers.  When the Sean McCann's of the world are doing that, then the rest of us who sit in our living room sometimes feeling like that understand that we can talk about it.  His message was very strong, that in the talking about it and in the sharing of it there's healing in that."

Titus believes that a grass roots movement has been started in Airdrie.  "That's what we're trying to create is ambassadors for mental health and I believe there was a roomful of ambassadors created. People left feeling like they shared something very special and they will be talking about it and sharing, and that's how we're going to change it.  It's going to start with that and the connecting of people.  I feel it's a grass roots movement and it's starting in Airdrie."

The Thumps Up Foundation has some projects on the horizon, including their partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association.  Airdrie still falls under the rural community umbrella and CMHA has an initiative called the "Transformational Road Map for Addictions and Mental Health for Rural Communities."  "They have honoured us by saying that they'd like to pilot project their initiative in Airdrie.  So that's going to be happening about the fall time frame."

As well, Thumbs Up has asked the city of Airdrie to take stewardship of a mental health addictions review survey which the city has agreed to do.  Mayor Peter Brown will host a mayor's luncheon to launch the initiative this fall.  

Titus says the Airdrie Health Co-op is the future for mental health care in Airdrie.  "We can help shape the future of health care in ground leading ways and create that model in Airdrie that other communities can look to us and say, 'hey, it can be done and that's what it looks like when it's done well'."

Titus sums it all up saying, "Last night was a great night for mental health and awareness in Airdrie.  Moving forward I think the future looks very bright."

 
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