The family of Steven Hutchison is “overwhelmed” by the over 600 participants who took part in last weekend’s Get In Touch For Hutch fundraiser for mental health.
“Wow, it was just overwhelming,” said Myrna Hutchison, mother of Steven, who took his own life earlier this year. “It’s beyond anything we could have imagined.”
The family expects the five-kilometer and 1km run/walk in Arthur on June 29, as well as a sold out National Lacrosse League (NLL) charity game at the arena the same day, will raise about $30,000.
Myrna Hutchison is hoping to make the #GetInTouchForHutch Race an annual event.
“I think it’s important,” she said.
Others clearly agreed, as hundreds were already gathered at the pavillion and ball diamond behind the Arthur arena long before the official start of the event, which raised money for three non-profit mental health initiatives aimed at youths.
Family members, teammates, friends, classmates, and even strangers touched by his story, gathered on the ball field to spell out “SH44” for a photo tribute to Steven Hutchison, an avid lacrosse and hockey player known to many simply as “Hutch.”
Participants also released hundreds of balloons in his memory and heard from several guest speakers.
Wearing a “We love Hutch” T-shirt, Arthur Fall Fair Ambassador Nicole DiPucchio thanked race organizers and participants and described Hutchison as an affable and fun-loving character who always seemed to have a smile on his face.
Yolanda Cameron shared the story of her 16-year-old son, Wes, who killed himself nearly two years ago.
An emotional Cameron said it appears Wes and Steven Hutchison had a lot in common, as both were popular, bright kids and great athletes.
Cameron said her family will never recover from the loss, but they are hopeful Wes’ story will help others come forward to talk about, and seek help with, their problems before it’s too late.
With that goal in mind, she started Wes for Youth Online (www.wesforyouthonline.ca), a counselling website and one of three mental health groups to benefit from the Get In Touch For Hutch event.
The other beneficiaries are Kids Help Phone and the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Youth Engagement Projects.
One such project is the Giving Light Offers Worth and Wellness (GLOWW) group that meets in Guelph. A teenaged girl from that group courageously shared her experience with the Arthur crowd at last weekend’s event.
She spoke about her struggles with bullying, self harm and suicidal thoughts, which for her started at age 12. With the help of a school counsellor she was able to eventually talk about her struggles, and although she still deals with mental health issues, she said finally opening up was a vital step in her ongoing recovery.
While an understandably sombre event for those who knew “Hutch” well, spirits were high throughout the entire run/walk.
While personal run/walk times were surely noted by many, it was clear participants were not running for themselves. Most would likely agree, as noted in the mission statement from www.getintouchforhutch.com, the event was “a race that [they] won’t ever regret competing in.”
That sentiment carried over to the NLL charity game, which was sold out. The calibre of players who took part in the game, many of whom are from the Arthur area, is no doubt a tribute to Hutchison’s integral place in the close-knit lacrosse community.
He played both competitive lacrosse (Elora Mohawks) and hockey (Guelph Hurricanes, Listowel Cyclones, Wingham Ironmen).
