London, Ontario – Michelle Marner said that her involvement in raising awareness about mental health helped her recover from an incident in May, when she and her fiancé Stephanie LaChance were victims of armed robbery.
Marner and La Chance are surrounded by three suspects, two armed with guns and one with a knife, who fled from Marner’s vehicle.
“I was really scared, and we’re lucky no one got hurt, but it leaves a mental mark,” the Toronto Maple Leafs further admitted. Luckily, we had people around us that we could talk to and confide in. It really helped us. Unfortunately, not everyone is so lucky.
“I know what it means to talk about what we’re going through. Many men don’t want to discuss the painful ordeals they’ve gone through in their lives, or even their depression. It goes like this There is a stigma or stereotype that we want to end. »
Marner is trying to play his part through the Marner Assist Foundation, which organized the ‘Sync the Stigma’ initiative on Thursday to benefit the London Health Sciences Centre’s ‘First Episode Mood and Anxiety’ programme.
The first edition of this mini-golf event took place in London’s East Park, where a hole in the course was specially designed to honor Marner. A red beacon, similar to a goal light, flickers when the ball hits the bottom of the cup.
During the event, Marner presented a check for $25,000 to the London Science Center Foundation.
London holds a special place in the life of Marner, who played for the Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) between 2013 and 2016 and frequently visited children’s hospitals in the area. It was also there that he formed a special relationship with his ‘hero’ Hayden Foulon, who died at the age of 7 in October 2019 after a six-year battle with leukemia.
“My desire to make a donation of my own was born from visiting these medical facilities and talking to the people who live there,” Marner explained.
“Mental health is an important issue. I considered doing something to support the cause only a few years ago. Pandemic and [le vol de voiture] Only strengthened my desire to help. ,
