A Run for Chris Supports Young Adults Struggling with Substance Use

Happening This Weekend!

A Run for Chris is fast approaching this Sunday, August 21, but there’s still time to sign up for the 5 km run or walk in support of St. Joe’s Young Adult Substance Use Program (YA-SUP). The event takes place at Joe Sams Park in Waterdown and is being hosted in memory of Chris Owens – a runner from the time he knew how to walk.

From the sunny beaches of Australia to the mountainous terrain of Canada’s West Coast, to his hometown in Waterdown, Chris always found space and time for a run. Sadly, no matter how far and wide Chris ran, he wasn’t able to escape the grip that substance use had on his life. On August 20, 2021, at just 26 years old, Chris lost his battle with mental illness and addiction. One year later, hundreds have signed up to run in his memory, and you can support Chris’ legacy, too.

Chris’ family and friends have already raised more than $30,000 for YA-SUP, a program that treats young adults ages 17 to 25 who are struggling with substance use early on, so they have the best possible chance of avoiding a lifetime of addiction. To take part in the run or make a donation, visit the A Run for Chris website.

To learn more about Chris' story, visit our website or read the recent article in CBC Hamilton.

Get Ready for Back to School, While Giving Back to St. Joe’s!

Get an A+ in organization (and make sure your family’s stuff stays out of the lost and found) by taking advantage of our new cause-marketing partnership with Hamilton-based and parent-approved company Mabel’s Labels.

Mabel’s Labels creates award-winning labels for babies, kids and grown-ups. The company’s peel-and-stick labels and tags can be personalized with names, a variety of colours and fonts, and custom icons, too! Plus, Mabel’s Labels products are extremely durable, laundry, dishwasher and microwave safe, and 100 per cent guaranteed.

Best of all, when you buy Mabel’s Labels, 20 per cent of your purchase will be donated back to support St. Joe’s! To get started, simply search for “SJHF” from the list of participating fundraisers found here on Mabel’s Labels website. 

This special offer is brought to you by the Shop Here, Support St. Joe’s Cause Marketing Program. For more information, contact Adam Tillich, or call 905-870-5417.

FORE-somes Wanted: St. Joe’s Golf Tournament Returns on Sept. 8!

Join us on Thursday, September 8, for a tee-rific day of golf for a great cause! We’re excited to welcome everyone back to the Glendale Golf & Country Club in Hamilton for 18 holes of driving, pitching, and putting par-fection. Participants will also be treated to on-course food stations including an espresso bar, a porchetta sandwich stand, and much more. There will also be a raffle for covetable prizes and hole contests for longest drive, closest to the pin and all of your classic tournament trophy triumphs!

Over the past four years, the tournament has raised nearly $400,000 to help construct a new Integrated Cardiology Service and expand St. Joe’s Emergency Mental Health Service, too. Funds from this year’s event will help drive robotic surgery innovation at our Hospital, so patients can heal faster and get home sooner. Register your foursome today, or consider becoming an event sponsor. For details, reach out to Adam Tillich at 905-870-5417 or adam@stjoesfoundation.ca.

An Update on A Mental Health Morning

Our annual breakfast fundraiser, A Mental Health Morning, has been postponed to a new date in early 2023. This means there’s still time to submit your nominations for St. Joe’s Spirit of Hope Awards – we’ve extended the nomination period until 12 noon on Friday, October 28!

The Spirit of Hope awards recognize and celebrate youth, individuals and groups/organizations in the Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, and Brant regions who have overcome mental health or addiction challenges, or made impactful contributions to these fields. So, if you know an individual or group that embodies the spirit of hope, fill out an online nomination form today. Award recipients will be announced at A Mental Health Morning when a new date is set!