Spin for Mental Health raises $2,700 for CMHA

Just over $2,700 was raised during a spin class fundraiser in the college gymnasium for the Canadian Mental Health Association - East Kootenay held at the end of January.

The Spin for Mental Health event, which was a collaboration between the College of the Rockies, Kootenay Life Cycle, Fitness Inc, Canadian Mental Health Association, Stoke Juice, Hot Shots and Just Music, which raised the money through spin classes on Jan 29 — the day of a national mental health awareness campaign through #BellLetsTalk.

Sjaane Beattie, with Kootenay Life Cycle, said the event has only gotten bigger and better since it debuted three years ago.

"We look forward to the event every January and our team gets on board and it's a great way for us to spin and do what we do everyday but for extra purpose and extra meaning,' Beattie said.

Fitness Inc partnered up with Kootenay Life Cycle for event last year, as both ran three spin classes out of the COTR gym in a community-minded environment with 150 participants and six instructors.

Raising awareness for mental health is a cause that Beattie didn't heasitate to support.

"Mental health is so important for everyone in little ways and big ways, so for us to bring that to awareness is important for us to make it relevant to everybody and not just people who struggle or know someone who does, it's pretty important to just have it be a normal conversation," she said.