This fall will mark a long-awaited return to in-person fundraising for Catholic Family Services in Prince Albert. (Ride for Refuge/Facebook)

By Rob Mahon

Ride for Refuge

Catholic Family Services to hold first in-person fundraiser in over two years

Jul 8, 2022 | 12:00 PM

If you’ve gone a long stretch of time without any in-person fundraisers, you want to come back with a bang.

Catholic Family Services (CFS) is hoping to do just that with their fundraiser coming up this October.

On October 1, people who want to support Catholic Family Services can take part in the Ride for Refuge. It’s one of 40 such rides taking place around the country.

“It’s intended to be fun, there’s no competition,” said Margaret Duncombe, board member with Catholic Family Services. “It’s basically just a way that people can participate in a fun event and at the same time contribute to mental health services that are provided by Catholic Family Services.”

By the time they hold the event in October, it will be the first fundraiser they’ve held in person for over two and a half years. Like many other organizations, they’re hoping people come back to them in a big way.

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“I think people are hungry for the opportunity to get out and socialize and do things together,” said Duncombe. “What’s nice about this is it’s an outdoor event. It’s safe, it’s happening on October 1 and we think that’s a really good time of year.”

The ride will begin in the afternoon at the Alfred Jenkins Field House and go around the Rotary Trail. The riders will go one way, the walkers the other, and the bikers can go either ten kilometres or the full 22.6 kilometres of the trail.

In the last two years, CFS has seen more people looking for their services, as counselors report an increase in anxiety and depression.

“We have a lot of people who require mental support that come out of an abusive circumstance,” Duncombe said, “or they may have experienced major trauma. They might be suffering with depression or anxiety. We feel the kind of help they can get through mental health services is a refuge for them.”

With that in mind, Duncombe feels this is a service everyone can see the importance of. The pandemic opened up a conversation around mental health and shone a light on how widespread problems with it are.

“Mental health does affect everyone,” said Duncombe. “It crosses all boundaries. Most of us know of either ourselves or a family member or people in our community who really need support. The demand is so high that when you get to the point where you’re reaching out and looking for support, you want to get the help as quickly as you can.”

You can find more information about the Ride for Refuge by clicking here.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP