Thursday marked the 11th annual Bell Let’s Talk Day, a Canadian initiative based in a mainly social media format initiated to created, per its website, “the world’s largest conversation on mental health.” This year, Canadians and people around the world engaged with the hashtag #BellLetsTalk a record-setting 159,173,435 times, raising close to $8 million for the cause.
I’d initially wanted to write a piece about this day as there are a large number of various sports players and teams, especially in the hockey community, that put extra effort into supporting this important cause. It’s not just about erasing the stigma around mental health issues, but also about stressing the fact that it’s OK to talk openly about this mental health, no matter who you are.