Runners and walkers take part in a past Run Myles Ahead event along the Boardwalk in the Beach. This year’s Run Myles Ahead is set to take place on Sunday, Oct. 4. Photo: Submitted.
The annual Run Myles Ahead community fun run/walk is set for Sunday, Oct. 4, along the Boardwalk in the Beach.
Start time for the five-kilometre run/walk is 11 a.m., and activities around the event (including the start/finish line) will be by the Leuty Pavilion at the foot of Lee Avenue in the Beach.
A youth fair as part of Run Myles Ahead will be starting at 10 a.m. and it will include crafts, baked goods, a kids’ lemonade and jokes stand, and a collective art activity allowing participants to share their tips for good mental health in butterfly-shaped messages.
The run/walk raises awareness for child and youth mental health. Myles Ahead was founded in 2018 by Leslie Kulperger in memory of her son, Myles, with a mission to improve mental health services and supports for children and youth. What started with families and friends in 2018 in loving memory of Myles, Run Myles Ahead has developed into an annual local event supported by volunteers, youth teams, community partners and businesses.
This year’s event will contribute to the expansion and awareness of Harm by Design, an initiative developed by youth for youth that uses an ‘algorithm simulator’ to demonstrate how quickly social media feeds drift towards harmful content and ideas. In doing so, Harm By Design empowers young people and families with tools and awareness to better protect their mental health and wellbeing.
“With the support of partners working with us through our annual Run Myles Ahead event, we aim to raise the funds needed to bring practical resources like these to life in schools and communities across Canada,” said Kulperger in a news release about this year’s run/walk.
For the third year, Gyro Group of Auto Companies, (Mazda and Hyundai) is lead sponsor of Run Myles Ahead.
An East Toronto business, Paul Kmet, Dealer Principal, said that “Gyro has always believed that being part of a community means more than simply doing business in it. It means supporting the people and organizations working every day to make that community stronger. We’re proud to see the meaningful impact the work of Myles Ahead is having in and outside of our community, helping reach more children, families, and educators.”
Matt Cassells, of Walker Cassells Real Estate, said that for their business, sponsorship is about addressing an issue that touches every family. “Knowing from firsthand experience the difference that timely support can make has only deepened our appreciation for the work Myles Ahead is doing,” said Cassells in the news release.
He said Run Myles Ahead is a “powerful example of what can happen when a community comes together around an important cause.”
As an example of this community connection, a group of local Beach dads calling themselves Team Balmy Strong has been coordinated by Cassells and will be taking part in Run Myles Ahead on Oct. 4.
Myles Ahead Peer Youth Leader Emerson Clarke said that the support of the local dads is important to younger participants
“As a young man, statistically, I know we are less likely to seek help when we need it and talk about our challenges. Suicide risks for young men in Canada remain high. The dad’s group, Team Balmy Strong, joining us at Run Myles Ahead is about men showing up and being part of the conversation and community support system for youth mental health,” said Clarke in the news release.
For more information, or to register to take part in Run Myles Ahead on Oct. 4, please go to https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/run-myles-ahead-oct–4
