Red River Co-op has donated $70,798 towards the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba’s campaign to fund an indoor and outdoor play space for the child & adolescent mental health inpatient unit at HSC Winnipeg.

Funds donated came from Red River Co-op’s Fuel Good Day and sale of Winnipeg Blue Bombers collector cups this past summer. The Winnipeg Football Club partnered with Red River Co-op to produce Winnipeg Blue Bombers collector cups, featuring Adam Bighill, Matt Nichols and Andrew Harris. The collector cups were sold at Red River Co-op gas bars and food stores during the 2019 football season, with the co-operative donating one dollar from the sale of each cup to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba. Red River Co-op also pledged to donate 5-cents of every litre of fuel sold on Fuel Good Day last year.

“We thank our members and customers for supporting Fuel Good Day by fuelling up on September 17, as well as purchasing the Bombers collector cups this summer to help us make this substantial donation to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba,” said Doug Wiebe, CEO of Red River Co-op.

“We’re so pleased that Red River Co-op, the Winnipeg Football Club, and their members and fans have chosen to support this important initiative for child and adolescent mental health. The goal is to help kids with mental health diagnosis get the best care possible – and this space will be an important part of that,” said Stefano Grande, President & CEO, Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba.

Between 500 and 600 children ages 10-17 are admitted to the 14-bed child & adolescent mental health inpatient unit every year. This unit provides evidence-based care through an interprofessional healthcare team to serve youth with a range of acute mental health concerns such as depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis and suicide attempts or ideation. The new play space will provide these youth and teens a safe secure space to exercise and enjoy the outdoors while receiving care. Physical activity intervention in child populations has resulted in a reduction in depression, emotional disturbance, psychological distress and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Children’s Hospital Foundation mental health play space campaign has now reached $221,908 of a $300,000 goal. Learn more here.