TORONTO — CTV announced Wednesday more stars are joining its Unsinkable Youth one-hour special in support of Canadian youth, scheduled to air Friday, May 22 at 1 p.m. ET on CTV.
Presented by non-profit organization Unsinkable and Kids Help Phone, in association with Bell Media, the Unsinkable Youth special will be hosted by Olympian rower and Unsinkable founder Silken Laumann and Never Have I Ever (Netflix) star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.
Joining the lineup of actors, musicians and athletes scheduled to appear are Canadian superstars Seth Rogen and Alessia Cara, along with actress Madison Bailey. Previously announced personalities include Hayley Wickenheiser, Jacob Tremblay, Johnny Orlando, Lauren Orlando, Lennon Stella, Tessa Virtue, The Reklaws and Wali Shah.
“Youth from across the country have opened their hearts and shared with us about what the experience of Covid has been like for them. They have told us what they need from the adults in their life and what their hopes are. The voices of Seth, Alessia, Maitreyi, Madison and Johnny are powerful because they have dared to be real and vulnerable with the youth,” said Laumann, in the news release.
“We have all had to cancel plans and limit interactions with friends and loved ones in order to stay safe and keep everyone healthy. And while we understand that it’s the right thing to do, that doesn’t diminish the fact that this has been especially hard on kids and teens just like me,” said co-host Ramakrishnan. “My hope is Unsinkable Youth will encourage young Canadians to reach out, speak up and know that it’s okay to say this is hard.”
Unsinkable and Kids Help Phone have invited organizations to encourage a “meeting free” policy during the afternoon broadcast so that families can experience it together, says the release.
Some stats from Kids Help Phone:
- Outreach to Kids Help Phone has more than doubled across Canada during the Covid-19 crisis;
- Outreach doubled in Nova Scotia following the mass shooting;
- Demand for service remains 63% higher on texting platform, 55% higher through phones; and
- Kids Help Phone conducts five to 10 active rescues for people in danger of suicide per day.
