This past March, St. Joe's Stay Well program, offering therapeutic, safe and effective exercises for patients, hosted their highly attended second annual Around the Bay (ATB) Challenge for members across the King and West 5th campuses. Designed to mirror the spirit of the iconic Hamilton The Around the Bay Road Race while accommodating the unique needs of the program’s participants, the challenge encouraged members to complete 7,000 steps (approximately 5 km) using recumbent bikes or treadmills. “We wanted to provide our members with the opportunity to challenge themselves and participate in this historic community event in some capacity. This led us to recreating an event that suited our members' needs by removing the barriers of immobility.” shared program coordinator Karolina Grzelakowski. And that it did —King Campus participants alone reached an incredible cumulative distance of 400 km, with some participants challenging themselves to go above and beyond achieving 14,000 steps (approximately 10km) across their sessions. In addition to physical accomplishments, the event raised $1,895, which will go directly back into the program to support new equipment purchases. The emotional impact of the challenge is perhaps even greater than the physical milestones. Margaret, a Stay Well patient, shared heartfelt reflections on how the program—and the ATB Challenge in particular—has made a difference in her life: “I have been coming to the program for a year, and it has helped me tremendously. Coming to the Stay Well Program has given me the strength to keep pushing myself. The ATB Challenge highlighted that I am capable of a lot more than I had thought.” The Stay Well program continues to prove that recovery and progress are not only possible—they are empowering. Through a supportive environment, tailored exercise, and community-building events like the ATB Challenge, participants are reclaiming their independence, setting new goals, and redefining what’s possible. Stay Well is a reminder that movement is medicine—and every step counts. To learn more about the Stay Well Program and its referral process, or to donate, visit: https://bit.ly/3EQ5aMB (fb)

On Sunday, a record 1,500 participants came together at Confederation Park to run or walk the 5k or 10k (and 1k Little Steps!) Hamilton edition of the Shoppers Drug Mart Run for Women 👟, in support of compassionate and stigma-free women’s mental health and addictions care at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. 🏥💙 With a breezy, slightly overcast morning as their backdrop along the beach strip, participants and supporters of the Run for Women broke yet another record by raising more than $218,000 to enhance women’s access to St. Joe’s mental health and substance use care! The funds raised from this year’s event bring the Hamilton edition’s all-time tally to over $1 million. 🎉 More than 160 teams participated in the Run for Women, with a special nod to our top three fundraising teams: Shoppers Drug Mart’s JoJo’s Joggers, who raised over $8,000; local innovative automotive supplier Tiercon, raising more than $5,000; and Anxiety Queens, made up of several members of the community, raising nearly $4,000. A very special thank you to: 🥼🩺Dr. Randi McCabe, St. Joe’s Vice President of Mental Health and Addictions, and our event’s Community Champion. ♥Lead event sponsor, Shoppers Drug Mart. ⚖Local Community Champion Sponsor, Scarfone Hawkins LLP St. Joe’s is the second largest provider of mental health and addictions services in the province. Each year, the Hospital will see more than 200,000 outpatient visits to their mental health and addictions clinics and cares for over 30,000 new patients. While government funding is critical for our services, the funds raised from this event help bridge the gaps as the demand for mental health and addictions care continues to rise in our region. To read the full story, visit: https://bit.ly/4jPtpJh (fb)