$192,000 to Support Mental Health

Pharmaprix LOVE YOU Run for Women

June 12 marked the return of the Pharmaprix LOVE YOU Run for Women as an in-person event. After two years of virtual editions, the 1,200 participants were excited to gather in Montreal’s Parc Maisonneuve to support women’s mental health. A total amount of $192,000 was donated to the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, in support of the MUHC Mental Health Mission.

At the event, people of all ages, genders and fitness levels joined to run, walk or roll 5 or 10 km for the cause. Children under the age of 12 participated in a 1 km event.

“After the past two years, it is wonderful to see that, like us, our community is eager to support people facing mental health issues or living with a mental illness,” said Jean-Guy Gourdeau, President and CEO of the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, on the morning of the Run. “On behalf of the Foundation, our medical teams and our patients, I would like to thank all participants for their generosity. I would also like to acknowledge the important contribution of Pharmaprix, thanks to which we will once again be able to support mental health initiatives right here in Montreal.”

For the eighth consecutive year, the funds raised have supported innovative projects that bring hope to our community.

More specifically, the funds raised will support:

The new Centre for Precision Psychiatry, which has a goal, over the long term, to be able to predict diagnoses, prognosis and how patients will respond to treatments for their mental illnesses. To achieve this, the team will collect clinical information such as symptoms experienced by patients, biological samples (blood, fluids, tissues, etc.) and images of the brains of patients who have given their consent. A first in Canada!

The Avatar Project will help patients who hear unwanted voices by associating an avatar (an animated digital image) to allow interaction with those voices. During therapy sessions, the therapist’s voice will animate the avatar to guide the discussion, thereby reducing the severity of the hallucinations. The project also includes a planned smartphone app to make this type of therapy more easily accessible.

The patient spaces at Allan Memorial Institute are in dire need of an upgrade. Consultation rooms and spaces will be renovated to better serve patients and medical staff.

An Important Event for the Cause

Since 2015, Pharmaprix has donated more than $1.3 million to the Montreal General Hospital Foundation, in support of the MUHC Mental Health Mission.

By supporting women, the event provides broader support to families, as well as our entire community. It also highlights different mental health issues and mental illnesses and encourages people to talk openly in order to reduce stigma.