A fitness fundraiser is returning this spring to support mental health services at Yellowknife’s hospital.
The annual spinathon, organized by the Stanton Territorial Hospital Foundation in partnership with the Yellowknife Racquet Club, will take place on May 2 from 9am to 12pm. Participants will cycle for three hours with short breaks, raising funds for Stanton’s psychiatry unit.
Patty Olexin-Lang, executive director of the foundation, said funds raised will go toward purchasing fitness equipment such as yoga mats, exercise balls, and other items used by patients in the psychiatry unit. Previous donations have already helped supply treadmills and an elliptical machine, she added.
Participants are asked to raise a minimum of $100 to take part, and registration can be completed through the Racquet Club or online. Community members who are unable to participate can still contribute by donating in support of individual riders.
Olexin-Lang said the event has raised nearly $72,000 despite a hiatus between its launch year of 2014 and 2019. She said the goal for this year’s event is to reach between $10,000 and $15,000.
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Olexin-Lang said these resources play a crucial role in patient care, particularly during long northern winters when outdoor activity is limited.
“Mental health is a big deal, and it’s been proven that fitness does make a difference,” she told Cabin Radio.
“I have many friends or family members that struggle through mental health and depression in the winter. Exercise is so important and just even going out for a walk for a block or two, getting outside helps immensely.”
Catherine Ardiles, fitness director at the Racquet Club, said both patients and gym members benefit from staying active. As a nurse and instructor who brings students into the psychiatry unit, she said she has seen first-hand how access to fitness equipment supports recovery.
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According to Ardiles, the Racquet Club itself serves as a vital community hub. She said the spinathon usually takes place a week before National Mental Health
Week to “coincide with saying how important it is.”
“People on the psychiatry unit, all the staff and the patients that go there really appreciate having the equipment in the winter when they can’t get outside, and it really helps recovery,” she said.
“Just from being at the Racquet Club, a lot of our members in the winter say, ‘This is my community.’ It helps them so much with mental health here. So usually the members are very eager and active to fundraise because they know the benefits they get from exercising.”
