OCAA JOINS THE BELL LET'S TALK CONVERSATION

TORONTO - The Ontario Colleges Athletic Association, in conjunction with universities and colleges across Canada, are happy to join the conversation on Bell Let's Talk Day on Wednesday, Jan. 31.

Moving into the broader campus community, the campaign looks to build on the success of 2017's university initiative when more than 20,000 student-athletes from 53 universities led the campus mental health conversation at more than 100 university sports events leading up to Bell Let's Talk Day.

This day is also in partnership with the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) "Make Some Noise for Mental Health" initiative, taking place from Jan. 15 to Feb. 11. The awareness campaign is intended to encourage conversation and open mindedness and better promote resources and support available on college and university campuses and their local areas.

Here is a sampling of some of the events taking around Bell Let's Talk Day on Ontario campuses:

Algonquin College

Algonquin College has earmarked its Feb. 2 basketball games as its "CCAA Make Some Noise" event. A Health and Wellness Promotions team will have a booth set up outside of the gym to answer questions and provide info. Bell Let's Talk toques will be given to the first 40 people in attendance. A series of posters will also be visible encouraging those to reduce the stigma of mental health issues. Leading up to the event, the Thunder will share links to resources on social media for people in distress and those looking to assist them.

Canadore College

The Canadore Panthers plan to make some noise this weekend to help eliminate stigmas surrounding mental health, wellness and mental illness. During the volleyball games on Jan. 26, spectators will have the chance to make noise, engage in meaningful dialogue, and learn about resources and support available to improve mental health as well as receive special giveaways.

Centennial College

Centennial will host Bell Let's Talk themed varsity volleyball matches for its first annual THRIVE Week. Thrive is part of a mindset and a week-long series of events as a way to build positive mental health and well-being. The Colts have already started their social media campaign leading up to the Jan. 31 matches. A table will be set up with information on the different community mental health resources that are available to students and staff. Athletes and spectators alike will also have the chance to share their views about mental health awareness and fighting the stigma on speech bubbles. In between the women's and men's games, a picture of the crowd will be taken of all holding up their talk bubbles.

Conestoga College

The Conestoga Condors will highlight Bell Let's Talk at their basketball games on Jan. 30. Before the end of each half, athletes will hold up talk bubbles at their bench area in support of mental health awareness. These will be added to a dedicated signage wall at the facility, along with messages from the fans, which will remain in place through Bell Let's Talk Day. The Condors will also promote mental health awareness on their social media channels, as well as partnering with on-campus initiatives on Jan. 31.

Confederation College

Confederation College will be setting up an information table on Bell Let's Talk Day during the lunch hours in its new SUCCI Wellness Centre. Thunderhawks student-athletes along with the college community are encouraged to stop by fill out talk bubbles, sharing their thoughts about mental health awareness. Also available will be a true/false awareness quiz and a pamphlet outlining mental health services available on- and off-campus.

Durham College

The Durham Lords have started a social media campaign and conducted a Bell Let's Talk night at their basketball games this past Wednesday with a pots and pans theme to "Make Some Noise for Mental Health". That night, Durham also celebrated its OCAA men's soccer and women's softball championship winning teams.

Fleming College

The Fleming Knights are teaming up with Fleming College's Mental Health Initiative Committee for a Bell Let's Talk event. At the men's basketball game on Jan. 31, a half time show will be dedicated to Bell Let's Talk where there will be speeches from various figures from the college as well as a video created by Fleming varsity athletes showing their support for the initiative.

Georgian College

The Georgian Grizzlies men's and women's volleyball teams will host a special Bell Let's Talk night on Jan. 31 when the teams host George Brown at the Georgian Athletic Centre located on the Barrie Campus. In addition to the games, there will be tons of giveaways plus great prizes like Barrie Colts tickets and Grizzlies merchandise to be won. There will also be a special Bell Let's Talk photo booth on site for fans to take pictures and videos for use on social media.

Lakehead University Orillia

Lakehead-Orillia kicked off the Bell Let's Talk campaign for the annual women's Frost Cup hockey game against crosstown rival Georgian College. Student-athletes, students, staff and community members received toques, thunder sticks, temporary tattoos and talk bubbles. Lakehead-Orillia Athletics is focused on a month-long campaign teaming with the Student Union, Peer Wellness Educators, and the Health and Wellness department to encourage a continuing mental health dialogue within the community.

Loyalist College

Loyalist College conducted its "CCAA Make Some Noise" event during its volleyball matches this past Wednesday. Bell Let's Talk conversation bubbles were placed around the gym with positive messaging, and athletes wore stickers saying "You're Not Alone". Loyalist athletic director Jim Buck read a pre-game message, and tips regarding mental health were announced between sets.

Niagara College

The Niagara Knights are working with the Niagara College Student Administrative Council to host #NCTalks for #BellsLetsTalk "Mental Health Matchup" basketball games on Jan. 31. All student-athletes and event staff will be wearing "Make Some Noise for Mental Health" shirts, and there will be free food, popcorn and cotton candy for all attendees. Staff will be giving out #BellLetsTalk swag and Niagara Knights apparel to spectators. Niagara College counselors will be on site to discuss available on-campus services in a special "We Speak Student" lounge open all evening in the gym.

St. Lawrence College

Last Saturday, St. Lawrence College hosted a "CCAA Make Some Noise" event at its basketball games at the Kingston Campus with a table set up at the entrance to the gym with information on the different mental health resources that are available to students and staff as well as giving out Bell Let's Talk items as prizes. On Bell Let's Talk Day, students at the Brockville and Cornwall Campuses will receive free swag by engaging in an open discussion about mental illness and pledging how they will help to fight the stigma. At the Kingston Campus, there will be two games of Kahoots with swag prizes for the top performers in each. There will also be a Bell Let's Talk photobooth set up, with students encouraged to take photos using the Bell Let's Talk Snapchat filter and to tweet them using #BellLetsTalk.

Sault College

The Sault Cougars hosted Bell Let's Talk awareness basketball games on Jan. 20. There were announcements regarding mental health, and information cards were provided with services in the surrounding area that students can access. On Jan. 17, a booth with information on mental health and services that Sault College provides was placed in a highly-populated student area. On Jan. 31, the Cougars plan on hosting a Bell Let's Talk Day event where students and athletes can participate in an open conversation.

Seneca College

Seneca College conducted its Bell Let's Talk and "CCAA Make Some Noise" event during its Jan. 23 basketball games. The Sting wore themed T-shirts during warm-ups, and fans were given thunder sticks and temporary tattoos. Seneca's other student-athletes will also showcase T-shirts during warm-ups and around campus throughout the month. Seneca varsity teams will share their own personal messages and photos on Bell Let's Talk Day via social media.

University of Toronto Mississauga

UTM's men's and women's home basketball games on Sunday, Jan. 28 will focus on the Bell Let's Talk initiative on mental health awareness. The Athletic Department is partnering with the Health and Counselling Centre on campus, where student staff will run a table at the front of the facility with a post-it board and talk bubbles for fans and teams to share their views about mental health awareness. At half time of the men's game, a picture of the crowd will be taken of all holding up their talk bubbles.

As a national day to spark the conversation about mental health, Bell Let's Talk Day can help student services departments showcase various mental health programs already offered on campus, while also helping schools achieve their own mental health goals. More than 150 on-campus conferences and other events are planned already, including participation by student-athletes who are helping spread the conversation again this year at more than 100 varsity and collegiate games leading up to Bell Let's Talk Day.

OCAA encourages everyone to join the mental health conversation on Bell Let's Talk Day. Bell will donate five cents to Canadian mental health programs for each of these interactions on Jan. 31, at no extra cost to participants:

• Text and Talk: Every text message, mobile and long distance call made by Bell Canada, Bell Aliant and Bell MTS customers
• Twitter: Every tweet using #BellLetsTalk and Bell Let's Talk Day video view
• Facebook: Every view of the Bell Let's Talk Day video at Facebook.com/BellLetsTalk and use of the Bell Let's Talk frame
• Instagram: Every Bell Let's Talk Day video view
• Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let's Talk filter and video view

Bell Let's Talk Day 2017 set all new records with 131,705,010 messages, growing Bell's funding for Canadian mental health by $6,585,250.50. #BellLetsTalk was Canada's top hashtag in 2017, and is now the most used Twitter hashtag ever in Canada.

With approximately 729,065,654 interactions by Canadians over the last seven Bell Let's Talk Days, Bell's total commitment to mental health, including an original $50-million anchor donation in 2010, has risen to $86,504,429.05. Bell expects its donation commitment to reach at least $100 million in 2020.

Source: OCAA Communications/Bell Let's Talk