Participants do 2,000 push-ups and raise funds for mental health
The Altona Police Service (APS) is challenging members of the community to participate in a fun and healthy way to support a worthy cause.
The Push-Up Challenge is a unique way to get fit, have fun, and learn about mental health while raising funds.
Constable Tristan Fournier-Jones says he’d been looking for an interesting fundraiser for the department for a while when the Push-Up Challenge showed up on his Facebook page.
“It really looked doable and fun. I thought this is a great way to get the community involved and talking about the subject of mental health and bring awareness. It also supports the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) So I talked to everybody here about it, and they were all on board.”
Participants are challenged to do 2,000 push-ups from Feb. 1-23. The number represents the 20 per cent of Canadians who experience a mental illness each year.
Each day of the challenge, participants receive a daily target with a corresponding mental health fact so they can learn while they push for better mental health.
Fournier-Jones says if you can’t do push-ups, you can substitute them with alternative exercises, or aim for a smaller portion of the target if the full target is too challenging.
“Everybody is at a different fitness level or strength. We want this to be fun and safe for everybody.”
Funds raised support people living with mental illness, as well as preventing ill-health and promoting mental health and resilience for all Canadians.
“Fundraising is an optional part of this, but I would encourage it because it goes to a really important cause,” says Fournier-Jones.
Team APS began with only police officers, but the Town of Altona employees have also hopped on board. Now other community members have joined the team as well.
“The team just keeps on getting bigger, which is amazing,” says Fournier-Jones. “The Altona Fire Department now has a team going as well, Team ARES, so there’s a bit of friendly rivalry there too. Anyone can donate to wherever you choose, and it all goes to a great cause.”
APS members initially set a goal for $500, which was reached in less than 24 hours. As of Monday, they’d raised $790.
The website also keeps a tab of national numbers, and as of earlier this week, $1,350,494 had been raised for CMHA, with 4,866,147 push-ups logged across Canada.
You can get involved by signing up to take part or by making a donation at thepushupchallenge.ca
“We want to thank everyone who has supported our push up challenge so far,” says Fournier-Jones.
