St. Clair College staffers who signed up for United Way's iMove Challenge in March raised $3,715 for youth mental health services in Windsor-Essex.
Participants collected donations and completed 200 minutes of physical activity between March 1 and March 14.
The 39 participants from St. Clair College were able to raise a combined total of $3,715 for youth mental health services. The College also provided a $1,000 donation.
"The event empowered us to come together virtually to support our own well-being while raising money for child and youth mental health and wellness initiatives in our community," said Karen Gill-Gore, Associate Vice President of Employment and Training Services.
St. Clair College became involved in iMove through a collaboration of multiple groups on campus, including the Staff Engagement Committee and members of the Wellness Committee. Gill-Gore said she credits fellow Staff Engagement Committee members Kelly Henley and Naz Binck with helping her get more people involved in iMove.
Fellow employee Adele Metcalfe also spearheaded efforts to gather people for the St. Clair College Chatham Campus team, earning fifth place out of all top recruiters in the event.
She also said the larger number of people involved played a big part in St. Clair’s contribution to the event, citing the activity points earned by team members John Budd and Kelly Henley as a key part of their success.
“The team’s cumulative activity points really helped to solidify the St. Clair College team as an overall top team.”
This high involvement paid off, with the St. Clair College team overall taking first place on the iMove Challenge leaderboards.
This was done through methods like a daily schedule of activities, helpful online links and the St. Clair College Wellness Committee indoor walking path.
The timing of the event is also important because the pandemic has impacted the mental health of young people.
Over 70 per cent of children aged 2 to 18 had their mental health worsen during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns, according to a February 2021 report by SickKids Foundation.
On the whole, Gill-Gore said she is proud of the results with iMove. Getting involved with the event helps the college reach its goal of helping others.
“St. Clair College is a strong community collaborator and supporter of local initiatives that better the communities where we live, work and study," she said.