Media Release: 4K4Youth Raises $4K (and Then Some!) for Youth

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

The coordinators and people I have met along the way helped build new experiences in my life
For immediate release
August 2017

MISSISSAUGA – On Saturday, August 5, more than 75 youth and adults participated in the first ever 4K4Youth walk/run in support of Nexus Youth Services (Nexus). The event was hosted by Nexus’s Pro-Ject Leadership Group (PLG), a dynamic group of young people on a mission to raise awareness about the persistently high rates of youth suicide in Peel. The PLG surpassed their fundraising goal, raising $4,700 in support of Nexus’s free and confidential mental health services for youth ages 14 to 24.

The PLG decided to host 4K4Youth after learning about the positive effects of physical activity, like running, on mental health. “It is very important for us to try to raise awareness about the issues and challenges youth face,” says PLG member Madison, adding that one of her favourite aspects of 4K4Youth was that “the event was welcoming to people of all ages.”

The walk/run started at the Mississauga Valley Community Centre and traced a 4-kilometre route in the surrounding neighbourhood. Volunteers from St. John’s Ambulance, the Mississauga Firefighters, Team Unbreakable and Cameron Helps were on-hand to help along the way, and after crossing the finish line, participants were treated to pizza donated by Pizza Pizza. DJ Aaron Diaz and the youth band “Wait What!” provided the entertainment, along with games from the Mississauga Steelheads and Brampton Beast OHL teams. Other supporters included Cadillac Fairview, the City of Mississauga, GoodLife Fitness and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport through its Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund.

As a youth-serving agency, Nexus is committed to youth engagement and creating a community that values the diverse voices of youth and young adults through action, partnership and growth. Nexus Supervisor John Choi cites the 4K4Youth event as one example of youth engagement in action. “The strength of the youth community at Nexus was on full display on Saturday,” he says. “The PLG worked hard to plan the event, recruit volunteers, book entertainment and solicit donations. The end result was a major success!” The PLG looks forward to making 4K4Youth an annual event.

Nexus Youth Services is an accredited, community-based, publicly funded mental health agency serving youth in Peel. Nexus helps more than 2,000 youth annually through its Community Counselling Program and the Nexus Youth Centre (NYC), located in the Mississauga Central Library. NYC is fully accessible drop-in centre, providing mental health counselling services, daily activities and group programs to youth with no referral required. For more information on Nexus programs and services, call 905-795-3518 or visit www.nexusyouth.ca.

Media enquiries:
Alexandra Macgregor-Amde, Communications Specialist
(905) 795-3500 ext. 2297

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