Step It Up

About Step It Up

In July of 2023, a member from our Bennett Design family lost her 70 year old father to suicide. He was a 30 year veteran of the Toronto Police Force and was the 3rd member of her family to take their own life. And while this series of tragedies left us bereft and searching in shock for answers, the statistics on suicide in Canada show this loss is all too common. The World Health Organization estimates one person dies by suicide every 40 seconds. Over 4,000 Canadians die by suicide every year—an average of 11 per day. And yet, while mental illness accounts for about 10 per cent of the burden of disease in Ontario, it receives just seven per cent of health care dollars. This shortfall, totalling almost $1.5 billion, creates an ever-widening gap in the system's ability to deliver timely intervention and adequate long-term care. At Bennett Design, we have always believed that family comes first. We know that by allowing our team to prioritize being good partners, parents and siblings, they are more present, more focused and better prepared to be the very versions of themselves. Witnessing our teammate relive this tragedy three times prompted us to take action. We simply refuse to ignore the crisis that is affecting our friends, families and communities. We created Step it Up for Mental Health as an active, accessible way to engage your team and generate much needed funds for Canadian mental health resources. Please join us this November to Step it Up and step up the resources available for Mental Health in Canada. 100% of all funds raised go directly to CAMH. If you have been touched by mental health issues, or know someone dear to you who has, please join us. We can't sit still anymore. We all need to come together. We need to Step It Up. Charitable Registration Number: 106932320RR0001

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