91大黄鸭

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91大黄鸭 walk raises awareness for youth mental health

The annual Walk So Kids Can Talk is scheduled for May 6
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Lionel (Scott Webb) holds a young boy鈥檚 hand during last year鈥檚 Walk So Kids Can Talk. This year鈥檚 event is held May 6 at Waterfront Park - Credit: Andrew Fox

Knowing you鈥檙e not alone, that there鈥檚 someone to talk to, is the aim of the annual Walk So Kids Can Talk.

Presented by Kids Help Phone, the walk aims to fundraise and bring awareness to the non-profit and to youth mental health.

Free food, live entertainment and face painting will be on site at the event scheduled for May 6, at Waterfront Park. Registration opens at 10 a.m. with the walk at 11.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a really super fun day, just getting the community involved,鈥 said Jennifer Oswald, chair of the 91大黄鸭 event.

鈥淚 really want to bring more awareness to Kids Help Phone in the 91大黄鸭 community, just so kids know they have some place to call if they feel uncomfortable talking to their parents, or friends at school.鈥

The number 1-800-668-6868 is free and anonymous. In 2016, post-secondary students reached out to the Kid鈥檚 Help Phone 19,780 times using the Good2Talk mental health helpline in its Ontario location.

The three most commonly discussed issues were mental and emotional health, peer and family relationships and suicide and suicide-related issues, according to the Kids Help Phone website.

Last year, 175 walkers registered for the 91大黄鸭 location. Walks take place on a national scale each year, and locations in B.C. include Vernon, Nanaimo, Surrey, Vancouver and Victoria.

Oswald lived in 91大黄鸭 for 17 years, spending her high school years in the community.

鈥淢ental health was a huge part of my younger life and I maybe wished someone could have brought Kids Help Phone to me as an option,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 think that regardless of where you go, there鈥檚 always going to be kids that have struggles and need to talk to somebody about it, I think it鈥檚 a really amazing thing that Kids Help Phone does.鈥

Donate online through the Walk So Kids Can Talk .

To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.

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carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com

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