The 20-year-old netminder started the campaign not only to raise money for the Canadian Mental Health Association, but also to raise awareness of mental health issues, particularly among young athletes.
“Many of my friends and family have struggled with their mental health. And as an athlete, I’ve seen firsthand how important strengthening your mental health can be, and I want to be able to help everyone in Grande Prairie have access to the critical tools and support they need to help strengthen their own mental health.”
The fundraising goal is $25,000. And by the end of last week, the campaign had already surpassed $10,000 raised.
Proceeds from the campaign go to the Canadian Mental Health Association.
McKenzie says they’re also in preliminary talks about visiting several schools and minor hockey teams in the region to discuss the importance of talking to others about their mental health.
He adds that as important as raising money is to the campaign, the awareness side is just as important.
“You try to inspire a whole younger generation of athletes and kids to really see the importance of a topic like this and feel like it’s really important to talk about these things when they’re going through them, and really get that locked into their minds. . It should be noted that it is important to talk about mental health and that it is okay to talk about mental health and break down the stigma that surrounds it. I think that’s the most important thing about this campaign.”
January 27 is also “Lift Your Mask on Mental Health” night, where Storm hosts the Lloydminster Bobcats.
Storm will wear special jerseys that night and McKenzie will wear a mask specially created for that game.
All of those items will be auctioned off that night with the proceeds going to the campaign.
McKenzie says that the hockey club has been behind this project from day one.
“I went to talk to coach Eric (Thurston) and general manager Mark (Bomersback) about this once I got back to Grande Prairie this season, and they were nothing but very supportive. They are completely open to the idea and are trying to support me in any way they can. ”
“My teammates have been great at this. They have been sharing the message and connecting with friends and family to help raise awareness and money. So it really makes me proud to see that the staff and players on the team are helping to support something not only for our community but also important to me and something that I tried to start to help others.|
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