Phil Johnston, CCMF Vancouver branch director, was joined by his friend Jeridan Kowal to take part in the RUN4HOPE charity run hosted by BMO this past Sunday, May 7th. CCMF was an official participating organization.

A special message from Phil Johnston, CCMF Vancouver Branch Director:

Since 2014 I’ve been proudly volunteering for CCMF Vancouver as it’s Branch Director to give voice to men’s issues in hopes that the message “equality includes everyone” is heard and understood. That’s why I knew participating in the RUN4HOPE was a perfect fit. Though, some people wouldn’t agree with me.

This Sunday, May 7th at 7am, Jeridan Kowal and myself will be running a half-marathon on behalf of CCMF and proudly flying it’s colours to raise awareness of men’s issues, and particularly men’s mental health (more on that in a moment). I have a favour to ask, but first a couple points:

Firstly I want to thank Jeridan for supporting me and dedicating himself to our running program that has resulted in me shedding over 25+ pounds! Having him in my corner made all the difference when rain, taut muscles, or just a plain bad mood tempted me to cancel a training session.

Secondly I want to dedicate my run to my brother Russell, who was diagnosed with severe depression in his early teens. He was not alone in our family in being kept company by this “black dog” (my sister, mother, and myself also have wrestled with it) but, by far, he was the most impacted. Russell is intelligent and kind, but has chosen to withdraw from the world for over 20 years as a means of coping. I run in hopes that he, and others like him, will find his voice and re-emerge into the world on his terms, with no apologies.

I believe better resources are needed to address men’s mental health issues – and that’s why all donations to our RUN4HOPE fundraiser will go directly to funding a Vancouver Centre For Men & Families to be opened in 2018.

Please support team CCMF in the RUN4HOPE marathon and let’s make a difference together.