Fleming College

City of Kawartha Lakes ON – (Sept. 27, 2017) – Fleming College’s Frost Campus is aiming to reduce the stigma around mental illness through an upcoming event at the campus.

Hosted by the Frost Mental Health Initiative Team, the ‘Stomp Out Stigma’ Event for Mental Illness Awareness Week invites students and staff to join in the conversation around mental health.

Stomp Out Stigma will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 3 from 1-3:30 p.m. on the Auk’s Lodge Patio. The event features guest speaker Jack Veitch from the Canadian Mental Health Association as well as a free barbecue and musical performances from Fleming faculty members Joanna Hodge and Kent Hodgin. Students and staff will be getting their boots on with Robin Nesbit, Coordinator of Recreation Services at the Lindsay Recreation Complex, who will lead participants through a line dance to Blake Shelton’s Footloose.

As part of the event, at 1:15 p.m., the Mental Health Initiative Team will unveil a new addition to the campus – a connection bench. The bench represents a physical space for people to come together and communicate or solely reflect, and is one of two benches designed and built by Fleming Carpentry Apprentice students Brad Morey and Mike Payne. Chemong Home Hardware donated the materials for the benches with the other bench currently in use at Sutherland Campus. These benches further illustrate Fleming’s commitment to developing, supporting and maintaining an environment for positive mental health.

Frost Campus will also host its annual Health Fair during Stomp Out Stigma. Students and staff can connect with a variety of agencies that will be on site to discuss their resources and support. Participating agencies include: Cam’s Kids, Canadian Mental Health Association, Community Care (Dietician, Food Box and Blood Pressure), Community Counselling, Credit Counselling, Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge Health Unit, Kawartha Haliburton Victims Services, Kawartha Lakes Police Service, Responsible Gambling, Therapy Dogs, Student Lifeworks, and the Ontario Provincial Police.

“This event brings our campus community together to support each other and bring awareness to mental illness. Open and honest dialogue around mental illness creates an environment that helps to reduce the shame and stigma, allowing those who are struggling to seek support,” said Melissa McQuaid, Fleming College Counsellor and Frost Mental Health Initiative Team member. “The Frost Mental Health Initiative Team’s partnerships with the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit, Lindsay Recreation Complex, City of Kawartha Lakes Police Service, and the Canadian Mental Health Association further help to make these initiatives a huge success.”

About Fleming College
Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Sciences, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has more than 6,000 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and 74,000 alumni.

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Members of the media, for more information please contact:
Laura Copeland
Communications Officer
laura.copeland@flemingcollege.ca
705.749.5530 x 1370

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