National awareness initiative celebrates life-changing impact of BGC Clubs and shines a light on growing youth mental health crisis in Canada

TORONTO, ON, May 30, 2022 – On Friday, June 3, BGC Clubs (formerly Boys & Girls Clubs) will come together for an inaugural national awareness initiative, BGC Club Day, that will celebrate the positive impact of Clubs in communities across Canada and the important work we do to promote mental wellness for young people. Watch our BGC Club Day video and visit bgcclubday.com to learn more.

As Canada’s largest child and youth serving organization, BGC Clubs offer essential programs and services for over 200,000 young people at 700+ locations across Canada. We create opportunities that help kids and teens overcome the barriers that stand in their way. And right now, they need our help more than ever.

In a recent survey, 100 per cent of BGC Club staff surveyed believe Canada is experiencing a youth mental health crisis, with 76 per cent seeing double the number of youth experiencing mental health issues over the last two years. BGC Clubs are on the front lines of intervention and prevention, from regular mental health check-ins to peer support groups to national programs like Flex Your Head, which provides a safe space for youth ages 13+ to talk about their mental health and ways of coping with stress. We put youth wellness first and foremost—and we always have.

On BGC Club Day, we will celebrate the opportunities BGC Clubs create for young people that boost their mental wellness and set them on a path for success.

We’ll be joined by Canadian icons and local celebrities, BGC Clubs will host events in communities nationwide, landmarks will be lit up in BGC green, and we’ll be posting on social media all day to spread the word.

• Viral video sensations and Juno Award winners Walk off the Earth will air a special concert for BGC Club Day on Friday, June 3 at 6:30 p.m. ET on BGC Canada’s Facebook Live @BGCCAN.
• Jully Black, Canada’s Walk of Fame inductee, SheEO, Queen of R&B/Soul, international recording artist, multi-Juno Award winner, stage & television actress, author, and speaker, will be our official BGC Ambassador. Jully is available for media interviews at the local Toronto Club she will be visiting on Friday morning, and she will be promoting BGC Club Day on social media.
• And watch out for local landmarks lit up in green, including the CN Tower and Toronto sign, Montreal’s Olympic Stadium, Sarnia and Red Deer’s city halls, and Niagara Falls.

Here’s how you can get involved on Friday, June 3:

• Follow @BGCCAN and #BGCClubDay to see stories and activations across all our social media channels
• Share your stories—whether you’re a former or current Club member, a BGC supporter, have kids who go to a Club, or just want to support youth mental wellness, let us know on social media with hashtag #BGCClubDay
• Donate to BGC Canada to support children and youth across the country

About BGC Canada
For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable and community services organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people of all ages and their families at 736 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental wellness, social development, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything.

Media contact:

Mary O’Connell
Director, Marketing & Communications, BGC Canada
moconnell@bgccan.com
905-477-7272 x2223

Published June 4, 2021 on Cision

National awareness day focuses on youth mental health and intentional connections

TORONTO, June 4, 2021 – On Friday, June 4, Canada’s Queen of R&B / Soul, international recording artist, multi-Juno award winning, stage and television actress Jully Black will join BGC Clubs across the country to celebrate Unplug to Connect by unplugging from connections that cause stress and plugging into connections that promote wellness.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, young people, families, and Clubs are faced with many challenges. Fatigue around social distancing, isolation, and living in the virtual world for school, work, and to connect with family and friends is taking its toll on our mental health.

For this year’s Unplug to Connect national awareness day, BGC Canada (formerly Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada) is celebrating the positive connections that our Clubs continue to create with young people and families in 775 communities nationwide during this trying time.

We are excited to announce that Jully Black will be hosting an #UnplugToConnect Instagram Live session with some of BGC Canada’s Youth of the Year Club members on Friday, June 4 @ 7:00 p.m EDT. Watch on Jully’s Instagram @missjullyblack.

As a BGC alumni and ambassador for our annual Unplug to Connect day, Jully will candidly talk with our youth about mental health, the importance of BGC Clubs in communities, and the power that young people have to shape our future.

“We are thrilled to have Jully Black join us again for Unplug to Connect to showcase some incredible young leaders and the positive impact of our Clubs,” says Owen Charters, President & CEO, BGC Canada. “Although so much of our lives are online right now, we have seen that positive virtual connections, like those between young people and their Club staff, mentors, and peers, can reduce stress and build confidence at a time when we are all struggling with distancing and lockdowns. On June 4, we look forward to showing the strength of those connections.”

On June 4, across our @bgccan social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), BGC Canada will be highlighting Club stories, intentional connections, and how our Clubs directly contribute to positive mental health for young people.

About BGC Canada
For 120+ years, BGC Canada has been creating opportunities for millions of Canadian kids and teens. As Canada’s largest child and youth serving charitable and community services organization, our Clubs open their doors to young people of all ages and their families at 775 locations nationwide. During out-of-school hours in small and large cities, and rural and Indigenous communities, our trained staff and volunteers provide programs and services that help young people realize positive outcomes in self-expression, academics, healthy living, physical activity, job readiness, mental health, social development, leadership, and more. Opportunity changes everything. Learn more at bgccan.com and follow us on social media @BGCCAN.

Media contact:
Jared Morrow, Media Relations Manager
jmorrow@bgccan.com
905-477-7272 x2202

On June 4, BGC Canada invites you to unplug from connections that cause stress and plug into connections that promote wellness.

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Clubs across the country continue to create connections with young people and families, both in-person and virtually. This year, for Unplug to Connect, we want to celebrate those connections.

At BGC, we understand the importance of intentional connection. On Friday, June 4, we will highlight Club stories and focus on how they have directly contributed to positive mental health.

Unplug to Connect will be activated locally and nationally!

NATIONAL

Jully Black (@missjullyblack) will host an #UnplugToConnect Instagram Live with some of our Youth of the Year winners on Friday, June 4 @ 7:00 p.m EDT.

The Toronto sign, the CN Tower (10 p.m. – 12 a.m. EDT), and Olympic Stadium in Montreal will be lit up in BGC green! National and Club posts will also be shared across all social media channels throughout the day.

A BGC flag raising was scheduled at Toronto City Hall this Friday. With Flags across the country being flown at half-mast to honour the 215 children found buried at the Kamloops Residential School, we have decided to cancel the flag raising out of respect and solidarity.

LOCAL

Clubs will post on social media using the #UnplugToConnect hashtag about activities they’ve run in the last year to connect with youth in their communities.

By connecting to community, others, and ourselves, we can continue to create positive connections when we need them the most.

Supported by