(L-R): Shari Slattery, CMHA Kelowna, Southern Medical Program students Liam Matthews, Cameron Oliver, Brandon Evtushevski, Stephen Watson, Stephanie Maguire, MNP and Wayne McNiven, Scotiabank.
Second-year Southern Medical Program (SMP) students Brandon Evtushevski, Liam Matthews, Cameron Oliver, and Stephen Watson wanted to make an impact when organizing the 2016 SMP Student Golf Tournament. They decided to partner with the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Kelowna to help support mental health initiatives in the community.
“Mental health touches everyone’s life in one capacity or another,” says the SMP tournament organizers. “We were thrilled to partner with CMHA Kelowna to help spread awareness for mental illness and raise funds for the development of the BC Integrated Youth Services Initiative.”
Around 100 golfers attended the tournament and dinner at the Harvest Golf Club last October. With the help of numerous sponsors and the local community, the students were able to raise $11,500 with additional $5,000 matched by Scotiabank.
“It is great to see young people, especially future medical professionals, take an interest in supporting the mental health of children, youth, and families in our community,” says Shari Slattery, Fund Development Coordinator at CMHA Kelowna. “We are incredibly grateful for their support.”
The grand total of $16,500 will be used to support Kelowna youth struggling with mental illness and addiction. The students would like to extend their gratitude to the Kelowna community for generously supporting both the tournament and this worthwhile cause.