Warriors Men’s Event

The Cause

We host an annual men's event with the local men's hockey team in our community. We bring in a guest speaker that has struggled with addiction or mental health issues, and close out the evening with a "hot stove panel" which is comprised of former pro and semi-pro hockey players, talking about their career. Our guests can wear their favourite jersey, have a beer and be in a supportive environment that teaches the male population that it is okay to reach out for support and resources for your mental health.

Who Will it Benefit?

This type of event benefits our whole community. We end up with male guests that are between the ages of 18-80, and they listen to a keynote speaker who played in the NHL or the CFL talk about the issues they struggled with such as addictions, mental health, etc. We have had Clint Malarchuk, Theo Fleury, Georges Laraque and Gizmo Williams. A lot of times after this event, we will get an email or phone call from a wife or girlfriend, telling us that their partner or husband was at the event and that when they came home, they reached out for counselling and therapy. This is exactly what we wanted to happen as men feel that they need to be strong for the family and that they are not allowed to have any mental health issues. When the men ask for help, it creates a ripple effect within their own family as their siblings, or children ,see that it is ok to get help. That ripple continues out into the community.