Xerox Canada executive trying to raise money and awareness for mental health disorders.

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Nelson Hansen

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Shortly after Torontonian Mel Thompson learned that his daughter had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, he found himself wanting to do something that would make a difference in how mental illness is perceived in Canada. So, at 60 years of age he decided to go on a bike ride. That bike ride started this May in Vancouver and has been making its way across Canada raising funds and awareness for mental illness.

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Dubbed "The Ride for Mental Health", Thompson's endeavour is letting Canadians know that one in five will experience some form of mental illness, hopefully removing the stigma that surrounds mental health issues.

Thompson, a senior Xerox Canada executive, will roll into Saint John in August. Xerox employs close to a thousand people in the Saint John area and they have rallied around this venture with typical Saint John gusto. When it was learned that the Ride for Mental Health would be passing through Saint John local staff came up with an idea to help Mel Thompson's fund and awareness raising and a corporate softball tournament was organized.

Play Ball for Mental Health takes place on July 11 at the Forest Hills Ballfields. It is shaping up to be one of the largest such fundraisers that Saint John has seen. With a fundraising goal in the tens of thousands, the tournament is attracting huge interest from the corporate community. Other fundraising activities include a very large silent auction with lots of top quality goods and services being offered up by generous local sponsors.

Funds raised by Play Ball for Mental Health will go directly to the local chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Xerox staffers are expecting a huge welcome for Mel Johnson at Harbour Passage when he arrives in town on August 11. That's when they will be making a formal presentation at a ceremony set to include local dignitaries along with members of the local mental health community.

Local Xerox employee Jamie Gallagher is part of the local organizing committee. He tells [here] that when the call went out for help Xerox's large local workforce immediately mobilized for a worthy cause. "The biggest impression on me is that an undertaking of this magnitude usually takes about five months. We've pulled together to get this done in five weeks. That's a great testament to the commitment of our people who have rallied to support a fellow Xerox employee and his worthy and noble effort."

The Ride for Mental Health will leave Saint John on August 12 on its way to the Atlantic Ocean and St. John's, Newfoundland on August 29.

You can follow Mel's progress and learn how to enter a team in Play Ball for Mental Health online at www.therideformentalhealth.org