The Windsor-Essex County branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association will be celebrating the tradition of the Ride Don't Hide event again this year.
Locally, officials and supporters launched the kickoff for the 10th anniversary of the event on Wednesday, May 22, with the event itself set for Sunday, June 23.
CMHA branches across the country take part in a national movement for mental health each June. Back in 2010, the Ride Don't Hide movement began when Michael Schratter, a Canadian teacher living with bipolar disorder, spent almost a year and a half cycling around the world armed with only his bike and knapsack.
The event in Windsor will start from the Children's Aid Society parking lot on Riverside Drive East.
Cyclists of all ages and experience levels can sign up to ride with friends, families, coworkers and communities to bring mental health into the open.
To date, $400,000 has been raised through the event, with funds raised locally staying in the community to support a number of programs.
Those include CMHA's bereavement program for adults and children that provides education and counselling to those that are grieving the loss of a loved one, a Client Assistance Fund that is able to support clients with short term financial aid, and they also have a large Mental Health Promotion portfolio that works to provide education, awareness and training.
Kerri Hill, Manager of Community Engagement, says the enduring nature of the event shows the impact that it's had in Windsor and across the country.
"It really is a family, community focused event. The people that are participants in this event tend to come out every year, and it really means something personally to them. So they're really invested in the event and I think that speaks to the success of it," she said.
Among the supporters speaking on Wednesday were the Packer family, including 10-year-old Holden Packer who will be taking part in the Glow Ride, who spoke about his dealings with mental health as well as his parents.
Hill believes that shows the kind of progress that is being made towards eliminating the stigma of discussing mental health, and that prior to the pandemic there had been a real upswing around mental health awareness.
"We were seeing a reduction in stigma, we were seeing people reaching out more for help, but I think COVID-19 really put mental health on the map. I think that's kind of a silver lining to the pandemic, as it really got people talking about it. Being proactive, being preventative, but also acknowledging if there was an issue that's OK to reach out for help."
She says while they're encouraging as many people as possible to come out and cycle in the event, organizers are also hoping members of the community will come out to show their support for the event.
"You can go and basically say hey I have a mental health issue and that's why I'm here," Hill continued. "Or you can be there because you're supporting a loved one, or you can just be there because you just want mental health to be more open and acceptable in the greater community."
As it's the 10th anniversary officials are mainly keeping this year's event about the cycling, where they had offered a walk/run option last year, but there will be a number of activities on site for those looking to come out and support.
There will be rides of 10k, 20k, 50k, and 100k offered, and the site will open at 6 a.m.
More details and registration for both events can be found on the Ride Don't Hide website.