MONTREAL — Bell has a full slate of programming and events planned for Wednesday’s 10th annual Bell Let’s Talk Day. The theme for this year’s nationwide multimedia campaign is “Mental Health: Every Action Counts”.
Bell is asking Canadians to join in special events and take action by talking, texting and getting engaged on social media to help drive the conversation and Bell’s donations to mental health.
Here’s a list of some of the broadcast events taking place on Bell Let’s Talk Day tomorrow:
Bell Media primetime specials
The Social’s Marci Ien and Your Morning’s Anne-Marie Mediwake host Awareness, Acceptance, and Action: A Bell Let’s Talk Day Primetime Special, premiering at 7 p.m. ET/PT on CTV, CTV2, CTV.ca, the CTV app and Crave.
Companion special Bell Let’s Talk Live streams live on Twitter on location from Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), starting at 6:45 p.m. ET. Hosted by Melissa Grelo, Bell Let’s Talk Live features live interviews with medical experts, celebrities and other guests, during commercial breaks of the primetime special, and concludes with audience-submitted questions being answered by a panel of mental health experts.
Francophone documentary Stronger Together
The mental health documentary Stronger Together highlights the family and friends of people struggling with mental health issues. Dealing with parents who had severe anxiety issues, Michel Charette reached out to people who became family caregivers. The documentary airs on RDS at 8:30 p.m. ET, Canal Vie at 9 p.m. ET, Canal D at 9 p.m. ET, Z at 10 p.m. ET, and on Crave.
Crave highlights mental health
As the home of HBO in Canada, Crave is showcasing HBO’s mental health awareness campaign that highlights issues explored on series such as Succession, The Sopranos and Girls. Featuring scenes from the shows along with expert commentary, the programming invites viewers who need help to contact the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Beth Beattie on Marilyn
Friend of Bell Let’s Talk Beth Beattie will appear as a guest on The Marilyn Denis Show (which starts at 10 a.m. ET), and will meet with colleagues from the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General’s Mental Health Illuminati to share her story.
Raptors 905 game
At a special Raptors 905 game at 11 a.m. ET, approximately 2,200 young people will receive Bell Let’s Talk/Raptors 905 toques. Raptors 905 players will sport a special Bell Let’s Talk jersey. The game will air on TSN4 and will be hosted by Alexandra Chaves from Family Channel’s The Next Step and Raptors 905 spokesperson Akil Augustine.
For the full list of events taking place across the country, including Bell Let’s Talk flag-raising ceremonies in several cities, and mental health-themed special screenings scheduled at TIFF Bell Lightbox and the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema in Toronto, please see the news release.
Uninterrupted Canada debuts Hidden Opponent series
Athlete empowerment brand Uninterrupted Canada released Tuesday the short-form video series Hidden Opponent in support of mental health awareness, in advance of Bell Let’s Talk Day tomorrow. The series profiles three-time Olympic sprint medallist Andre De Grasse, national pole-vaulting record holder Alysha Newman and Olympic distance runner Lanni Marchant, who each chronicle their personal journey with mental wellness, self-doubt and the healing power of sharing. The short-form content will debut throughout Tuesday evening and during Bell Let’s Talk Day across Bell Media programs and social media platforms.
Bell has also been making several funding announcements this month too, such as the donation of $225,000 to Fondation de ma vie for the refurbishment of five psychiatric departments at three hospitals in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean which the company announced Tuesday.
Bell’s donation, along with a $75,000 investment by the Fondation, will be used to refurbish the three psychiatric departments at the Hôpital de Chicoutimi as well as those at the Hôpital d’Alma and Hôpital de Roberval. The renovations are designed to create a calming, welcoming environment that provides comfort and support to those receiving mental health services, says the Bell news release.
How to help raise funds on Bell Let’s Talk Day
On January 29, at no cost to participants beyond what they would normally pay their service providers for online or phone access, Bell will donate 5 cents to Canadian mental health programs for each of the following interactions on Bell Let’s Talk Day:
- Talk: Every mobile and every long-distance call made by Bell wireless and phone customers
- Text: Every text message sent by Bell wireless customers
- Twitter: Every tweet and retweet using #BellLetsTalk, featuring the special Bell Let’s Talk emoji, and every Bell Let’s Talk Day video view at com/Bell_LetsTalk
- Facebook: Every Bell Let’s Talk Day video view at com/BellLetsTalkand every use of the Bell Let’s Talk frame
- Instagram: Every Bell Let’s Talk Day video view at com/Bell_LetsTalk
- Snapchat: Every use of the Bell Let’s Talk filter and every Bell Let’s Talk Day video view
- YouTube: Every Bell Let’s Talk Day video view at com/BellCanada
Since the first Bell Let’s Talk Day in 2011, Canadians and people around the world have sent a total of more than 1 billion messages of support for mental health, bringing Bell’s total commitment to $100,695,763.75, which includes the company’s original $50 million anchor donation when Bell Let’s Talk launched in 2010.
To learn more, visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk.
