When: April 2024

Where: Children’s Arena Oshawa

155 Arena St, Oshawa, ON L1J 4E8

An exciting community and youth-focused wrestling event will be taking place in the Oshawa/Whitby area this spring.
Slam The Stigma hopes to be a positive influence on the communities we promote, through our commitment to empowering families
with the right tools and knowledge to help foster a healthy community.

Why are we doing this?

Why Youth focused:

In Canada, only 1 out of 5 children receive appropriate mental health services.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults between 15-34 years
When it comes to mental illness, youth is a critical period: most people living with a mental illness see their symptoms begin before age 18
70% of mental health problems have their onset during childhood or adolescence.
In 2016, suicide accounted for 19% of deaths among youth aged 10 to 14, 29% among youth aged 15 to 19, and 23% among young adults aged 20-24
An estimated 75% of children with mental disorders do not access specialized treatment services.
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.
4,012 Canadians died by suicide in 2019
So far, 3,780 suicides have been reported by the provinces and territories for 2020. This represents 232 fewer than the number reported in 2019 (4,012) and is similar to the 3,811 reported in 2018.

The monetary cost:

The economic cost of mental illnesses to the Canadian healthcare and social support system was projected as $79.9 billion for the year 2021
Because public mental health services are underfunded and have long wait times, many people rely on their employer-based benefits or bear the personal cost of private services. Canadians spend an estimated $950 million a year on psychologists in private practice. About 30% of this is paid out of pocket while the remainder is paid through employment-based private health insurance plans

Why Wrestling?

Wrestling has been proven to be inspiring and a great family friendly event for youth of all ages when done right.
Wrestling is interactive theatre where the crowd can feel involved.
At its base, wrestling is the classic story of good vs. bad, making it a timeless attraction.
Wrestling provides a safe and fun environment for youth to grow their courage and confidence to conquer adversity