Hundreds of Teddy Bears will be invading Harrison Park this Friday for Youth mental health awareness.

Grey Bruce families are set to take part in Canadian Mental Health's third inaurgural Teddy Bear picnic for Youth mental health awareness on Friday, September 1st from 11am to 2pm. This is a free event for the community. Canadian Mental Health Association has partnered up with local businesses and organizations to provide storytelling, sing-alongs, theatre performance and puppet shows to raise awareness about youth mental health in a kid-friendly way while making new friends and having a great time.

Going back to school can be a very anxious time for kids and parents for many reasons. CMHA Grey Bruce wants to provide a fun, interactive and informative day at the park for families on the Friday before school begins to help ease the stress and anxiety. This is a FREE event for all to attend. Families are asked to bring your teddy bears, pack a picnic lunch, picnic blanket and prepare to have some fun at the park. Some of the other activities planned for the day are a mini outdoor games area, face-painting, teddy bear photo booth and even a Teddy Bear parade to end the event.

CMHA Grey Bruce offers multiple programs that are aimed at increasing mental health literacy in our local children and youth. The Grey Bruce Friends and Neighbour (FAN) club program has been providing child-friendly puppet shows in schools since 2003. The program reaches 10,000 children a year. Some of the topic covered include; Building self-esteem, Anti-Bullying, dealing with anger and other feelings, ADHD as well as many other social issues that affect our children and youth. Let's Talk is a two-visit program for youth in Grades 7 and up. The first visit includes information on mental health and mental illness and the second visit is a more interactive discussion-based format where youth can share their ideas and suggestions around what they need in terms of support and services.

CMHA Grey Bruce is committed to reaching out more to families to provide advocacy and education around programs and services available in our region. This event was created to meet that mandate.

To find out more details about CMHA Grey Bruce programs and services visit our website. www.cmhagb.org

source: media release, Canadian Mental Health Association Grey Bruce