'Past 16 months have been pretty rough': Suicide prevention fundraiser planned at Calgary restaurant
After losing more than a dozen friends and colleagues to suicide during the pandemic, Calgary chef Dustin Schafer decided enough was enough.
In the hope of both raising awareness and generating financial support for suicide prevention, Schafer is spearheading a fundraising dinner Sunday evening at Modern Steak on Eighth Avenue S.W.
In total, Schafer has lost 14 industry friends to suicide.
“The past 16 months have been pretty rough,” said Schafer to a large gathering of the media on Modern Steak’s second floor.
“There was really no warning sign with most of these people; happy, jovial, joking around and they seemed genuinely happy. You wake up the next day to that phone call stating that person isn’t here any more, it’s really tough."
The fundraising dinner will serve four courses, crafted by Schafer. All proceeds will be donated to the Centre for Suicide Prevention.
The owner of Modern Steak, Stephen Deere says the devastating effects of the pandemic were particularly felt in the restaurant and services industry.
"People in the restaurant industry, with the openings and closures due to lockdowns, have had it extra tough,” said Deere.
"Especially in our kitchens, we are their family, we are their structure. When people don’t have their structure; their friends and family beside them, they can spiral. Sadly we’ve seen that in our industry this year.
"When you lose that structure, you don’t have to get out of bed, you lose that level of responsibility; you have no one to reach out to and talk with, all of a sudden it becomes very dark and there’s nothing to look forward to. It’s important for us to give back and do what we can to prevent any further suicides from happening."
Mara Grunau, the executive director at the Centre for Suicide Prevention, says a sudden lack of structure can have a profound impact on the mental well-being of anyone facing such a challenge.
"From a social standpoint, hope, belonging, purpose and meaning are very important aspects to us as individuals,” said Grunau.
"A of us really wrestled with our sense of belonging in lockdown. When we don’t have a sense of belonging, what happens to our sense of hope? We really need to find ways to bolster it."
While Deere is hoping to raise up to $10,000 dollars from the dinner, he thinks raising awareness about mental health and suicide prevention will have the greatest impact.
“We need to let people know it’s OK to ask for help, there are resources available, it’s OK to not be OK."
The fundraising dinner is slated to take place at Modern Steak Stephen Avenue on Sunday, June 27 beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The Centre for Suicide Prevention can be reached at 1-833-456-4566, by texting 45645 or visiting www.suicideinfo.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.