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Today is Bell Let's Talk Day - join the conversation about mental health
HALIFAX, Feb. 12, 2013, 2013 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) --
-- Text, call, tweet and share and Bell will donate 5 cents to
mental health programs across the country
-- Seamus O'Regan hosts GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS(TM) title attempt
in Halifax for Most people sending a text message
simultaneously at the Metro Centre at noon
-- Kids Help Phone hosts school assemblies in Halifax, NS and St.
John's, NL
It's Bell Let's Talk Day and today across the country, Canadians are invited to join the conversation
and help end the stigma around mental illness. In Atlantic Canada, Bell
Aliant (TSX: BA) is leading a number of mental health activities with
national spokesperson Seamus O'Regan. These include breaking a GUINNESS
WORLD RECORDS title in Halifax and hosting school assemblies with Kids
Help Phone in Halifax and St. John's.
"We know that the stigma around mental illness can make people feel
isolated," said Karen Sheriff, President and CEO, Bell Aliant. "By
doing something we do on a daily basis anyway - reaching out to family
and friends - we can help alleviate the isolation faced by those with
mental illness. Today is the day that every one of us can make a
difference."
For every text message sent and every long distance call made by Bell
and Bell Aliant customers, every tweet using #BellLetsTalk and every
Facebook share of our Bell Let's Talk image today, Bell will donate 5
cents to programs dedicated to mental health (regular long distance and
text charges apply).
"Mental illness has touched the lives of so many of us in communities
here in HRM and across the country," said Halifax Mayor Mike Savage.
"Today from coast to coast to coast, I encourage you to participate in
Bell Let's Talk Day and help raise awareness for an illness that
affects 20 per cent of Canadians. I want to commend Bell Aliant for
their leadership of this initiative."
Attempt to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title
In Halifax, Nova Scotia, Bell Aliant customers, partners, employees,
families and friends are invited to attempt to set a new GUINNESS WORLD
RECORDS title for the Most people sending a text message simultaneously in support of mental health. The current record of 677, set on May 18,
2011, is held by Pine View High School students in Utah as part of a
driving and texting awareness campaign. Today's event gets underway at
noon, visit letstalkhalifax.ca for more information.
Kids Help Phone School Assemblies
Bell Aliant is also partnering with Kids Help Phone and hosting two
school assemblies, at Gorsebrook Junior High in Halifax, NS today and
at St. Peter's Junior High in St. John's, NL tomorrow. This interactive
school assembly will feature a Kids Help Phone counsellor and Seamus
O'Regan, Bell Let's Talk day spokesperson and CTV personality.
The Bell Let's Talk mental health initiative is a multi-year,
$50-million charitable program based on four action pillars:
anti-stigma, care and access, research, and workplace best practices.
With Bell Let's Talk Day as its anti-stigma centrepiece, the initiative
is providing significant funding for leading mental health hospitals
and grassroots organizations, driving new workplace initiatives across
corporate Canada, and supporting new research.
In 2012, 8 million Canadians answered the call with more than 78 million
text messages and long distance calls on Bell Let's Talk Day, resulting
in over $3.9 million donated to mental health initiatives across the
country.
Mental health is a focus of Bell Aliant's community program. Since 2011,
Bell Aliant has given more than $1 million to support local programs
that reduce stigma, and increase access to care, such as Dots NB; Laing
House, NS; Health PEI and Eating Disorder Foundation of Newfoundland &
Labrador.
To learn more, please visit Bell.ca/LetsTalk, find us on Facebook.com/BellAliant and follow us on Twitter
@Bell_Aliant.
About Bell Aliant
Bell Aliant (TSX: BA) is one of North America's largest regional
communications providers and the first company in Canada to cover an
entire city with fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) technology with its FibreOPTM services. Through its operating entities it serves customers in six
Canadian provinces with innovative information, communication and
technology services including voice, data, Internet, video and
value-added business solutions. Bell Aliant's employees deliver the
highest quality of customer service, choice and convenience.
About Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records Limited (www.guinnessworldrecords.com) is the global authority on record-breaking achievement. First
published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records book is one of the best-selling books of all time and currently sells
more than 2.5 million copies in 22 languages and over 100 countries.
The Guinness World Records brand extends across a wide range of media, with global television
audiences of 250 million annually, a website which attracts over 13
million visitors, and live events which have entertained and inspired
more than 1.5 million people around the world. Guinness World Records
Corporate, the commercial arm of Guinness World Records Limited,
harnesses the power of record-breaking to create business solutions for
companies around the globe.
The featured record has been supplied courtesy of Guinness World Records
Limited.
SOURCE: BELL ALIANT INC.
To view this news release in HTML formatting, please use the following URL: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2013/12/c4838.html
SOURCE: BELL ALIANT INC.
Isabelle Robinson Bell Aliant Corporate Affairs (877) 799-6299
isabelle.robinson@bellaliant.ca
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