Mental Health Awareness

The Wolves are committed to shining a spotlight on Mental Health Awareness. The organization is proud to help those struggling with mental health issues and other related causes through a series of initiatives and partnerships with charities to benefit those in need.

THE CHARITIES

The Wolves worked with five local, mental health awareness-related charities: Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors, Canine Therapy Corps, Erika’s Lighthouse, Paws for Patrick and Same Here.

Alliance of Hope for Suicide Loss Survivors provides healing and compassionate support during the lonely and tumultuous aftermath of suicide, by helping people go beyond just surviving, to lead meaningful and productive lives.

Canine Therapy Corps empowers and motivates individuals to improve their physical and psychological health and well being by harnessing the human-animal bond.

Erika’s Lighthouse educates and raises awareness about adolescent depression, encouraging good mental health and breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Paws for Patrick connects young people with Emotional Support Animals and Therapy Dogs to aid them as they live with mental illness.

Same Here normalizes society’s perception of mental health and makes it part of our everyday conversation.

MENTAL HEALTH STATS AND FACTS

• “Mental health” is a concept similar to “physical health.” It refers to a state of well-being. Mental health includes our emotions, feelings of connection to others, our thoughts and feelings, and being able to manage life’s highs and lows.
• Mental illnesses are caused by a complex interplay of genetic, biological, personality and environmental factors.
• The presence or absence of a mental illness is not a predictor of mental health; someone without a mental illness could have poor mental health, just as a person with a mental illness could have excellent mental health.
• 1 in 5 Americans experience a mental illness.
• 1 in 20 US adults experience serious mental illness.
• 17% of youth (6-17 years) experience a mental health disorder.
• Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people aged 10-34.
• Just one trusted adult can reduce suicide in teens by 40%.
• Depression expresses itself differently in different people.
• Depression education is suicide prevention.
• If your child is experiencing depression, the whole family is experiencing depression.
• A person with depression needs support teams.
• You are not alone, there is hope.

HOCKEY TALKS

Hockey Talks is an annual National Hockey League initiative that focuses on promoting mental health and wellness, as well as sharing resources. It was inspired by former Vancouver Canucks player Rick Rypien, who tragically lost his battle with mental health challenges in 2011.

The Chicago Wolves are the third American Hockey League franchise to participate in the Hockey Talks initiative. The Chicago Wolves are dedicated to breaking the stigma and creating an open dialogue surrounding mental health. Wolves fans are encouraged to participate in the Hockey Talks initiative on social media to help break the stigma and spread awareness about mental health using the hashtags #HockeyTalks and #MentalHealthAwareness

Mental Health Awareness Jersey Fundraiser

During the 2022-23 season, Chicago Wolves players wore exclusive Mental Health Awareness jerseys, presented by Campfire Marshmallows, when they hosted the Rockford IceHogs on Jan. 28 and the Grand Rapids Griffins on Jan. 29.

These commemorative jerseys were available to own through a variety of initiatives with proceeds benefitting mental health awareness-related charities and Chicago Wolves Charities, driven by Kia.

Wolves forwards Ryan Dzingel, Jack Drury, Mackenzie MacEachern and Brendan Perlini, goalie Pyotr Kochetkov, as well as mascot Skates, had a different jersey for each of the two games. Having multiple jerseys enabled the Wolves and their fans to maximize their support of these important charities and their invaluable work.