ESTEVAN - The Estevan Community Wellness Committee is hosting its first-ever fundraising Courage and Community Dinner on Jan. 20, and the emphasis is going to be on mental health.
The event will happen at the Beefeater Plaza. Doors open at 6 p.m. and supper will be at 6:30 p.m.
Brad Siroski will be the guest speaker. Committee chairwoman Shelly Veroba said he is from Saskatchewan and is a mental health program designer, addictions care advocate, public speaker and counsellor. He will share his own journey through mental wellness and addictions.
"We thought he would be a good fit for us," said Veroba.
Veroba said the committee hopes to have a sold-out crowd of 300 people. Tickets are $40 each. A table of eight costs $300. The deadline to purchase tickets is Jan. 13.
"We're really excited to just have this event as the first event. We tried to keep it affordable for people while still allowing us to raise a little bit of money for our committee. Every single penny raised will go back into the community to enhance community fellowship, enhance mental wellness and enhance the programs that already exist in Estevan, and possibly any new ones that will help us create an environment of mental wellness and community safety, because those are our two most important initiatives."
Alcohol will not be served at the event, but the Students Against Drinking and Driving chapter from the Estevan Comprehensive School will be creating and serving mocktails for people to enjoy. Representatives from the Envision Counselling and Support Centre will be selling 50/50 tickets, with money from the sales going to Envision.
Murray GM is the event sponsor, and local author Stacey Grimes Wempe will be the dinner sponsor. McGillicky Oilfield and Souris Valley Pharmacy are also on board as sponsors. A couple of businesses have purchased tables and then donated them back to show further support. Different agencies will have tables set up so that those in attendance can know the services already in the community.
"There are a lot of people who don't even know what is out there and how to access it. Some people have a negative view on services that could be accessed because they tried in the past and it failed them. Sometimes those are the hardest people to get back into being vulnerable to ask for help, so they're trying to take the stigmatism away from mental illness and turn it into mental wellness."
The committee opted to have the fundraiser on Jan. 20 because it falls on the third Monday of January and it is known as Blue Monday. It has been described as the most depressing day of the year because it is a few weeks after Christmas, the cold winter temperatures have settled in and some people are struggling financially.
The money from the dinner will be used to support the committee's efforts. A few board game nights have already taken place. Members are working on other events and initiatives to make the community safer, such as a made-in-Estevan program similar to Block Parents that could be launched in September.
"One of our initiatives was to create free programming in the community for people everywhere. The entire community. We're not just talking about people who can't afford to come. We're talking people who could afford to come, and want to come and enjoy our events. People of all walks of life need to get out of their houses. We need people to start meeting with people again."
Veroba noted there has been a fundraiser for mental health initiatives in Carlyle for a few years and the wellness committee has borrowed the idea from Carlyle.
The committee has also received a grant from the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety's Community Safety and Well-Being Branch to help with its marketing efforts.
