Welcome the Dennehys Back – Thurs Aug 29
BC locals and mental health champions Ginny Kerry Dennehy will be in returning home after cycling 8000km across Canada and we will welcome them with open arms and huge congrats on Thursday, August 29 at Whistler Olympic Plaza from 12pm to 1pm.
This Whistler celebration is the finale of a four-month cycle across Canada to say Enough is Enough to the stigma of mental illness. As founders of The Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation, the husband and wife team will have cycled 8000km, hosted 34 events in communities throughout Canada, and raised more than $700,000 for mental health.
“We have been truly touched by the response we have received from individuals, families and communities across the country on our ride,” said Ginny Dennehy, co- founder of The Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation. “As we shared our own story, we heard from others who experience mental illness. Now, even more, we know how essential it is to provide further support and resources for those suffering from the disease.”
The Enough is Enough Ride is one of many initiatives launched through The Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation, established following the loss of the Dennehy’s 17- year-old-son Kelty. Since then, they have raised more than $5 million to combat mental illness, helping to finance projects such as a 24-hour phone line for advice on mental illness, and building a Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre at BC Children’s Hospital. This is their first national fundraising campaign.
Information and posters can be found and downloaded here.
“Depression is just like cancer or heart disease in that it can happen to anyone. We want others to understand this, and to not be afraid to speak up and ask for help. The more we can share our story, or hear others’, the more we can combat this,” said Kerry Dennehy. Such a message becomes more essential each day. Suicide continues to be the1 second leading cause of death for Canadian youth – the third highest rate in the industrialized world. Depression is forecast to be the second leading cause of disability by 2020. Although up to 70 percent of mental health problems begin during childhood, less than a quarter of those affected have access to the services they need. The result is the continuation of an emotionally and financially debilitating disease that affects individuals, families, work forces, and communities.
About The Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation
www.thekeltyfoundation.org
In 2001 Kerry and Ginny Dennehy lost their 17-year-old son, Kelty to suicide. Tragedy hit the family again in 2009 when their 23-year-old daughter Riley, who struggled with the loss of her brother for years, passed away suddenly while travelling in Asia. Determined to help others after the loss of their two children, Ginny and Kerry along with the Foundation’s board of directors continue the long journey of changing how Canada perceives the disease of depression by funding and creating much-needed projects across the country. The Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation is on the front line fighting to prevent depression-related suicide in young people. Reducing stigma, increasing awareness and saving young lives, the Kelty Foundation is a pillar of strength in Canada’s fight against mental illness.
Article source: http://www.whistlerisawesome.com/2013/08/27/16557/
