philanthropy//

'Building a community to help the community': Drop The Puck raises $28K for mental health

Less than 12 hours after Winter Classic earlier this month, hockey fans were back in the seats of Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Arena for Drop The Puck, a charity hockey game raising money and awareness for mental health.

The friendly game between UBC fraternities Phi Delta Theta and Beta Theta Pi started in 2018 by UBC students Adan Moallemi, Paul Yioldassis and Stefan Lehto-Borich, with all funds going to the Canadian Mental Health Association Vancouver Fraser (CMHA-VF) branch.

Since its inception, Drop the Puck has raised over $188,000, with this year’s contribution totalling over $28,000.

Second-year business student Mohammad Daas, one of this year’s co-leads of operations, said the event has become a point of pride for organizers and participants alike.

“What's really nice about this is, members of the fraternity, when they join, it's a responsibility that you’re put in this position to carry on this project,” he said. “It's a responsibility of every single fraternity member to take part in this.”

A goalie stands ahead of wooden signs for the Beta team.
“It's a responsibility of every single fraternity member to take part in this," said Daas. Navya Chadha / The Ubyssey

Over the years, the event has grown from an informal game between fraternities to one that engages the whole community, complete with community sponsors — even former Vancouver Canuck Dave Babych was in attendance this year.

“Before, it was just an event that's known within the Greek system. But now we've realized that … this being a student-led initiative is much more important,” Daas said.

Fraternities might have a reputation for partying, but Moallemi said their dedication to increasing mental health awareness comes from another value entrenched in Greek life.

“There's also a very storied history of philanthropy, and … I'd say a large percentage of people that join the Greek system, join it for the leadership opportunities to make a difference in the community,” he said.

Two youth programs — Urban Resilience Opportunities for Kids (UROK) and Here4Peers — are specifically sponsored by Drop The Puck. These programs equip youth with mental health literacy skills and build community relationships for increased mental and emotional resiliency.

“Both of the youth initiatives really are around breaking down the stereotypes and supporting youth, creating education points for them and a place where they can go and feel safe,” said Wayne Arondus, president of the CMHA-VF Board of Directors.

“I think that CMHA has really put that money towards this again, knowing that there are so many areas where money can go, but there really isn't that emphasis as much on youth programs.”

A 2020 study from the University of Calgary noted a need for continued investment in Canadian youth mental health programs.

Four women sit in hockey stands with homemade signs supporting Drop The Puck.
We're students, we're people that are committed to solving mental health," said Daas. Navya Chadha / The Ubyssey

The CEO of CMHA-VF, Ruby Ng, said the support for the event from the fraternity brothers raising money shows the importance of making children and youth mental health programs, like UROK and Here4Peers, a priority.

“I think the message that they're sending is that they're building a community to help the community. And our two programs are a great way [to do that] because they're supporting future leaders,” she said. “The emerging leaders are supporting future leaders.”

Although the game ended 6–3 for Phi Delta, it was obvious the score, or the teams, was the last thing on anyone’s mind. This was about uniting people for a common cause.

“It's not like we’re a fraternity committed to solving mental health [stigma],” said Daas. “We're students, we're people that are committed to solving mental health [stigma]. That should be the picture.”

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