Kincardine native and former Guelph Storm captain Garrett McFadden hosted a very successful 4th annual McFadden's Movement golf tournament on July 19.
McFadden's Movement was launched by Garrett in 2016 and raises money for mental health organizations and initiatives. McFadden says raising money for mental health is a vital and necessary need across the country.
"I mean it's something that impacts everyone, so, we're lucky to have been working with both CMHA Waterloo-Wellington and Wes For Youth Online for over 7 years now. We get kind of a first glance at the stuff they're doing and the impact they have in the community, and it's really important that we keep supporting those types of things so people have great mental health resources where they can get help," McFadden said.
In the first three years of the tournament, including a COVID restricted tournament in 2021, McFadden's Movement has raised over $65,000 benefitting mental health organizations like CMHA Waterloo-Wellington and Wes For Youth Online. Since founding the movement in 2016, Garrett has raised over $128,000.
"As a charity who is trying to make a difference in the mental health world, it's obviously really important for us to know what our money's going to, and know that the cause we're raising money for is working for people. Obviously, we have the most trust in both of those resources in the CMHA and Wes For Youth, and I think they do a tremendous job," added McFadden.
Garrett was inspired to create McFadden's Movement following his own mental health struggles during his junior hockey playing days, and in memory of Wes Cameron, who tragically took his own life in 2011 at just 16-years-old.
McFadden was friends with Wes and the Camerons, who launched Wes For Youth Online as a mental health resource for youth in the region. McFadden says continuing the work he's doing with McFadden's Movement, alongside co-founder and organizer extraordinaire Steph Coratti, is extremely meaningful to him.
"Helping whoever needs it and fighting that side of the battle, we're just really proud to be working with those resources in CMHA and Wes For Youth, and it's just been a great experience, so far, and something we wanna continue for many years," McFadden said.
You can find out more about McFadden's Movement here: https://mcfaddensmovement.com/
You can find out more about Wes For Youth Online here: https://wesforyouthonline.ca/
More on CMHA Waterloo-Wellington is available here: https://cmhaww.ca/
