Since last October, What Matters to Hatters Coalition has been promoting our Winter Kindness Campaign, sharing how we can all work together to reduce stigma related to substance use and mental illness in our community through kindness. Some people who are struggling mask their experiences from family, friends and coworkers to protect themselves from judgement and discrimination.
During Mental Health Week May 5-11, the Canadian Mental Health Association is encouraging Canadians to look beyond the surface and see the whole person.
CMHA notes “By embracing honesty and vulnerability, we open the door to deeper connections and the mental health benefits that come with it. In doing so, we can create a ripple effect of courage and understanding across the country.”
What Matters to Hatters has been encouraging deeper connections with community through events such as Sidewalk Talk & Sips and Socials. Healthy connections can also be fostered through participation in recreation and sport in community. Low cost and no cost options include activities like walking or running on our local trails, checking out “Reconnecting to Play” at the Medicine Hat Public Library, or watching for free events offered through the Big Marble Go Centre.
One event bringing people together for many years is Move for Mental Health, this year being held May 4, 1-4 p.m. at the Medicine Hat Public Library. This annual event is a day dedicated to raising awareness, fostering support and taking meaningful steps toward better mental well-being.
And the best part? It’s free, and no registration is required!
Whether you prefer to walk, jog, or run, every step you take helps break the stigma surrounding mental health. This event will also have movement stations, outdoor games, and a free barbecue for everyone to enjoy! Bring your family, friends and enthusiasm as we come together for a day of wellness, connection and fun.
Our Winter Kindness Campaign has also focused on recognizing individuals and organizations as kindness champions for their kindness and connection consistently demonstrated in community.
This month, we celebrate Kindness Champions from the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association. You may know of this group through their annual Beat the Heat Skateboard Competition every July 1 since 2007 in Kin Coulee. In 2025, working together with The Connection they will be hosting the official Canada Day event back down at Kin Coulee. There is so much more that their board and approximately 50 members do to make our world a better place.
In our community they volunteer for organizations like Prairie Gleaners and the Root Cellar where they coordinated the recent End Period Poverty Campaign. They also host indoor and outdoor skate schools throughout the year. In the fall each year, they coordinate a skate camp event for over 100 skateboarders called Run to the Hills at Eagles Nest Ranch. In addition to their local efforts, the Skateboard Association has also been traveling to Ensenada Mexico for many years where they build houses through Homes for Hope.
Sam Larsen, Skateboard Association President, shared that they members rely on the generosity of our community through sponsorship support from nonprofits and companies and fundraising efforts like coordinating bottle drives. A quote from their website stands out: “Not only do they love to skateboard, but they also desire to use the talents that they have been given to shine a light in some dark places of this world.”
We are so grateful to the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association for all that they do!
The Kindness Matters column is put together by members of the What Matters to Hatters Coalition and will run monthly throughout the organization’s annual Kindness Campaign
