+40 new #ConvoPlate Enter Circulation Today

Burlington, Ontario —5 May 2016—In an effort to get people talking about mental health year round, the Paul Hansell Foundation is putting 40 new #ConvoPlate plates into circulation among a group of prominent dignitaries. Many of the plates will be shared at a special student-written, produced and performed play entitled Beneath Our Skin to be performed at Assumption Catholic High School in Burlington.

Launched in advance of Mental Health Week, the #ConvoPlate initiative features distinctive and individually numbered #ConvoPlate plates designed to create awareness and stimulate conversations, about mental health, with an emphasis on prevention. Individuals receiving a plate are asked to start a conversation about mental health by posting on social media (using the hashtag #ConvoPlate), and pass the #ConvoPlate to someone else. The Foundation hopes that as each plate passes to someone new that mental health organizations receive financial support.

“This exciting initiative has already sparked considerable interest from prominent local dignitaries and we are encouraged and thankful for all of the support,” says Brian Hansell, Founder of the Paul Hansell Foundation.

Notable mental health advocates leading #ConvoPlate threads include:

  • Michael Landsberg (#SickNotWeak)
  • Mayor Rick Goldring (Burlington)
  • MP Katrina Gould (Burlington)
  • MPP Eleanor McMahon (Burlington)
  • MP Dean Allison (Niagara West)
  • Ron Foxcroft (Fox 40 International)
  • Ted Michaels (AM900CHML)
  • Annette Hamm (News Anchor CHCH)
  • Neil Oliver (Metroland Media)
  • Paddy Torsney (Permanent UN Observer)
  • Nova Browning Rutherford (Personal Development Coach)
  • Sam Cino (Good Shepard)
  • Kristen Dougherty (Reach Out Center for Kids)
  • Ernie Laporte (Chair, Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health)
  • Michelle Balge (Brock University Student)
  • Youth Services Bureau Ottawa

“We have big goals for these plates,” says Hansell. “We would love to have these plates pass through the hands of the Prime Minister, the Ontario Premier, the Royal Family, the Secretary General of the UN, and the Chair of the World Health Organization. Better yet, we’d love to get one on the space station!”

The travel activity of the new #ConvoPlate plates will be tracked on the Paul Hansell Foundation website to allow supporters to follow their progress as each plate circulates raising awareness and money. Each thread lead has been asked to set a goal for the number of times they hope their plate will be passed and dream up people that they would like the plate to be passed to.

The initiative started as a pilot project in December 2015 with the support of the Art Gallery of Burlington. At the Gallery, eight #ConvoPlate plates were created by the pottery staff and then passed along to others in the community. The new lot of 40 #ConvoPlate plates were created by a team of students from Assumption Catholic High School and Reach Out Centre for Kids (ROCK).

“Three of the 40 new #ConvoPlate plates will start their journey in the United States,” says Hansell. “We are hopeful that each plate will reach destinations in far reaching locations around the world. Mental health is without borders and we want the conversation to mirror that experience.”

ABOUT THE PAUL HANSELL FOUNDATION

Brian Hansell founded the Paul Hansell Foundation after the tragic loss of his son, Paul, in December 2010.

The Paul Hansell Foundation’s mission is to promote programs aimed at the mental and emotional wellbeing of youths. Its vision is that mental health is a natural part of everyday conversation. Through education and awareness the foundation aims to break down barriers and establish a proactive and preventative dialogue that puts mental health on an equal footing with all other forms of health. https://www.paulhansellfoundation.com/

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Contact:

Dave Bennett

Xposure PR

905 339 6668

dave@xposurepr.com

 

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