Wellness day in Metro Vancouver Friday, May 7

The Canadian Mental Health Association, Vancouver Burnaby Branch (CMHA VB) and the Motivation, Power and Achievement Society (MPA) are two leading mental health charities committed to mental health promotion and supporting the recovery of individuals experiencing a mental illness. Over the past year, with the changing economic and social climate, these organizations have seen the impact of increased stress and anxiety on the residents of our community.

The best way to manage stress is to invest in things that matter most, your family, friends, community and yourself. This is the message that these two organizations and local businesses want to get out to the public as they promote a new day of wellness across Metro Vancouver.

Recognizing that good mental health is not just the absence of mental illness and wanting to promote practices that have a positive impact, Your Wellness Day^TM is meant to encourage everyone to take some time, perhaps together with family and friends, to go to the spa or salon and do something nice for themselves. At the same time partner businesses in the program will be donating 20 per cent of sales from the day to CMHA VB and MPA to support those with mental health concerns and promote mental wellness in the community.

Much like the successful Dining Out For Life event that raises tens of thousands of dollars for AIDS-related charities, this event makes giving easy. The campaign kicks off right after the Olympics and culminates in National Mental Health Week which takes place from May 3 – 7, 2010. Through a series of advertisements, a media campaign and direct contact, the organizers will be encouraging everyone in the community to visit a participating salon or spa on May 7 to do something nice for themselves and support the fundraising campaign (as mentioned, 20 per cent of gross sales from participating businesses will be donated to CMHA VB and MPA).

The organizers are currently recruiting businesses to participate in the program and offer a number of benefits to salons, spas and other health-related service providers. They have also introduced a Caring Companies Award, granted to businesses that support their staff by allowing them one hour off work with pay to attend a spa or salon treatment at one of the Your Wellness DayTM partner locations.