Events
2020-08-19
PHYSICAL DISTANCING WILL BE PRACTICED THE ENTIRE TIME DURING THIS EVENT
A huge THANK YOU to Mari Sakamoto for painting the image for the logo shown above, and to Jim Kwan at Defending Awesome for the text!
AMOUNT RAISED – $5072.63
THANK YOU!! We surpassed last year’s amount raised!
NEW THIS YEAR – Check out our online auction!
*** NOTE that the online auction has ended ***
TO DONATE:
1. PREFERRED – via PayPal or etransfer to 24hoursforbipolar@gmail.com (no tax receipt)
2. Cash in person to Saki, Josh, Brahm or Scott (no tax receipt)
3. Online to the International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF) directly. PLEASE send an email to 24hoursforbipolar@gmail.com after donating to the IBPF, to ensure that your donation is added to our total.
Please note: IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A TAX RECEIPT, we’d greatly appreciate you donating to the IBPF directly and letting us know that you did so.
Event details
Start time: 5pm on Sat Aug 29
Start/finish location: Bottom of Tunnel Mountain trail at the St Julien Rd parking lot
Finish time: 5pm on Sun Aug 30
Media coverage of the event
Canmore MountainFM pre-event interview (5min24sec)
630AM CHED Edmonton pre-event interview (8min22sec)
630AM CHED Edmonton post-event interview (4min23sec)
Intentions of the event
1. Raise awareness and reduce stigma of bipolar disorder. Along with ALL mental illnesses.
2. Have as many people as possible diagnosed with bipolar disorder join the hike. Along with their spouses, family and/or friends.
3. Have many people join us during the event, being active in nature while seeing old friends and making new ones.
4. Raise money for two fantastic organizations. First is the International Bipolar Foundation who provides incredible free resources to people affected by bipolar. Second is assisting students in financial need with athletic programs at Banff Community High School.
5. Have media help raise awareness and reduce stigma of bipolar disorder, and also assist in spreading the word about this event. Fortunately Scott had two radio interviews on Aug 25 which he is truly grateful for.
Are you actually hiking Tunnel Mtn for 24 hours straight…AGAIN?!
My friends Saki, Josh, Brahm and I intend to! We plan to take a 20-30 min break every six hours. Anyone can join us for a lap or more!
Who are you raising money for?
The same as last year. Donations received by us will be split 50/50 with the International Bipolar Foundation (IBPF) and the Banff Community High School (BCHS) athletic department. Donations made directly to the IBPF will be added to our total however not shared with BCHS.
What does the money raised actually go towards?
The IBPF uses our donations to help pay the costs for incredible resources which are freely available to anyone. Those resources included printed materials, online webinars, and various outreach programs that they lead.
BCHS uses our donations to help pay for experiences and sports equipment for students in financial need. At time of writing this in July of 2020, the funds raised will be put into a holding account for future use…once school re-opens and student in-person experiences restart. Donations to BCHS from previous Scott Inside Out events helped pay for two things. The first was snow pants which have been added to the school’s inventory. The second was students’ lift passes and rentals during a Lake Louise ski day.
Why are you raising money for the IBPF and BCHS?
I have greatly benefitted from the resources that the IBPF provides. They have so much available on their website for people like myself who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2000. I have personally been to their office in San Diego and know firsthand that it is a small organization. They put a very high percentage of donations received into actual use…not overhead.
I used to be a school teacher and have immense respect for what the BCHS athletic department does for students. Saki has coached the boy’s volleyball team at BCHS for years. He’s also been running community drop-in volleyball at the high school on Wednesday nights for eons! Since the global pandemic started in March of 2020, all drop-in sports have been cancelled…
What is the theme of this year’s hike?
The same as last year! And you know what…I feel that it is more important now than ever. The theme is “Together is Better”. Building a solid and reliable support network, as well as reaching out when required, are both so important. Especially for those of us living with a diagnosed mental illness.
During the first 9 years of my bipolar journey I attempted to do it on my own. Now I know that Together is Better!
Can I join?
Yes! Anyone can join us hiking up Tunnel Mountain. Or you can virtually join us by watching the many Facebook lives that I will be filming throughout the event on my personal Facebook page.
First and last lap
Start of first lap: 5pm Sat Aug 29
Start of last lap: approx 3:30pm-3:45pm Sun Aug 30
We’d love as many people as possible to join us for either or both of these! You could help carry me up to the top on the last lap lol.
What do I bring if I’m coming to hike one or a few laps?
Activewear – runners/hiking boots, comfortable wicking clothing, layers
Food and snacks
Cash to donate (optional)
How can I follow along virtually during the event?
I will be doing many updates in real time including live videos on my personal Facebook page. I will be doing an update each lap when we’re at the top.
Will you be taking breaks?
We plan to take a 20-30 min break every 6 hours. So at approximately 11pm, 5am, and 11am. Or sooner when nature calls!
Are you nervous?
I am feeling less nervous about this year’s event than last year’s. Mainly because I did a 24 hour event last year. Many lessons were learned from 2019. That being said I am a little nervous…however much more excited than nervous!
What do you plan on eating and drinking during the event?
Last year I exclusively used Tailwind and had no stomach issues at all during the entire 24 hour event. It’s a powder that mixes into water. Tailwind takes care of my calorie, hydration, and electrolyte needs. On previous fundraising hikes my stomach would sometimes not feel good or I wouldn’t eat enough. This powder takes care of everything so I would be only drinking and not eating. Personally I love the simplicity of this. That being said, I’ll ensure that I have two or three flavours this year. Last year I had the same flavour the whole time and I was sick of it by the end!
How are you training for this event?
We’re all pretty active doing various things outside. Personally I’ve done some really good training hikes the last few months.
Below are a few 1 minute videos that I shot during some of those hikes!
My bipolar journey
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder type 1 in 2000. During my bipolar journey there have been a lot of struggles personally, and my family has experienced truly challenging times because of me. That being said, I am truly grateful to be alive. And to be mentally stable, healthy, and to have built a strong support network.
If you’d like to read about, and see a photo history of my bipolar journey from the start click here
Questions?
We welcome them! Please email us at 24hoursforbipolar@gmail.com .
Videos from previous bipolar awareness and fundraising hikes
Click here to view a YouTube playlist of all previous Scott Inside Out mental awareness events