Merritt Centennials hosted mental health awareness night

MERRITT – For Saturday’s (February 25) home game, the Merritt Centennials hosted a mental health awareness night in support of the Ty Pozzobon Foundation.

“What it [the Foundation] does is works to reduce the barrier between stigma associated with mental health help and allows athletes to have access to medical help,” said Courtney Christy, Sales and Marketing Manager.

Christy, who was also Ty’s Cousin, mentioned that largely due tot he Foundations influence, all pro rodeos in Canada are required to have sports medicine on scene whereas they didn’t before.

During the game, the Pozzobon family dropped the puck during a ceremonial faceoff and there was chuck-a-puck at the second intermission with all of the proceeds going towards the Foundation.

Christy explains more about Ty’s legacy.

“He was a local professional bull rider and we lost him in 2017. He had multiple concussions, head trauma which resulted in CTE which tragically took his own life, so now we live in his legacy and try to live like him every single day. He was truly a wonderful human, very inspiring, followed his dreams, very positive, humble, and hard working so those are admirable qualities we all try to look up to and live by every day now.”

Moving forward, the goal is to not have this situation happen to any other pro athlete.

“There was steps taken to get medical help and you know the resources and the access isn’t just always there for people so that’s also what the foundation try’s to do, is reduce those barriers and allow people to get the help they may need.”

Connor Farren, Merritt Centennials forward, said as an athlete it is important to push for mental health awareness in sports and throughout the community.

“It’s very important. I think a lot of the guys on the team didn’t really know what the whole story is, especially even me. I played here last year and we didn’t really get a full story about it but a week or two ago Leanne Pozzobon came in and shared the story with us and I think it really touched all of us.”

For more resources or to make any type of donation, visit the Ty Pozzobon Foundation website.