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Ontario man to run second 750K to raise awareness for mental health

Clay Williams, for a second consecutive year, will be running 750K from southern Ontario to Parliament Hill in Ottawa to raise awareness for mental health.

Canal Pursuit for Mental Health
Canal Pursuit for Mental Health
Clay Williams and David Varty during the Canal Pursuit in 2015. Photo: Canal Pursuit for Mental Health.

Clay Williams, a Waterloo, Ont. resident, announced that he will be doing the 750-kilometre run between Port Severn, Ont. and Ottawa this September for the second consecutive year. Williams plans to start the run on Sept. 11 and run 60K per day over a 13-day span ending on Sept. 23.

The run is known as the Canal Pursuit for Mental Health Campaign and helps raise awareness of depression, end the stigma of mental illness, and to encourage people to reach out for help. The 55-year-old is running in honour of his wife, his daughter and his sister who all suffer from mood disorders, and in memory of his two older brothers who took their own lives. He’s hoping to raise $15,000 this year after a $12,500 campaign in 2015.

“The conversation that we want to promote with this project is two-fold”, says Williams. “First, if you’re struggling with a mood disorder, talk to someone you trust. The second part of the message is that physical activity can help make many symptoms of mood disorders more manageable, fitting in with the National Defeat Depression campaign. We all have an important role to play in getting rid of the stigma around mental illness, so that people can feel comfortable reaching out to seek treatment.”

Along the way, Williams is expected to stop at each of the 88 locks before ending on Parliament Hill in the nation’s capital. Last year, he did the distance averaging 90 kilometres per day but is scaling back the daily distance this year to free up time to talk to local community members.

His route can be seen below:

Joining Williams this year will be Shelley Buffitt, an award-winning Canadian recording artist and decorated former paramedic who advocates on behalf of P.A.C.E. and Mood Disorders Society of Canada (MDSC).

RELATED: Ontario man to run 750K for mental health awareness.

Mental illness is no stranger to Buffitt; her father lost his battle and died by suicide and she herself suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. Shelley has recorded a song written specifically for Williams, entitled I’m Not Running Away with online sales going directly to MDSC.

More information on Williams, his run, to donate, and information about the Mood Disorders Society of Canada’s Defeat Depression campaign can be found here.

Excerpts from a press release.

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