Festival of Colours Night Market brings community together to transform mental health care for the children and youth

On Saturday, April 27, nearly 300 community members gathered at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites for Markham Stouffville Hospital (MSH) Foundation’s Festival of Colours Night Market to stimulate much needed change for youth and adolescent mental health. This ‘fun-raiser’ presented by RBC and supported by The Nanji Family Foundation, was inspired by the community’s diverse and vibrant cultures.

Health care is everchanging and so too is the community that Oak Valley Health’s MSH serves. In recent years, the demand for mental health services at MSH has increased substantially and wait times are at a record high, especially among the youth population.

“Government funding is not enough, community giving is essential to deliver exceptional, patient-centred care,” says Suzette Strong, CEO MSH Foundation. “Our community is one of fastest growing and most diverse communities in Canada and initiatives like the Festival of Colours Night Market help ensure we have the resources in place so our team of doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals can care for any child and their family when they need us, right in their own backyard.”

Funds from the evening will support a new Child and Adolescent Inpatient Mental Health Unit at MSH. A six-bed unit will enable the delivery of specialized treatment and help reduce wait times for children in crisis who need access to life-saving mental health care.

“As a community, we need to band together to continue to destigmatize mental illness while working together to bring innovation and mental health care close to home,” says Dr. Rus Sethna, Chief of Psychiatry, Oak Valley Health.

Guests were inspired and immersed in an evening filled with a variety of fantastic food stations reflecting the diverse flavours of Markham and Stouffville. There was plenty to enjoy from henna stations, beer and tequila tastings, makeup bars, photobooth, and many giveaways.

Two-time Juno winner Kiran Ahluwalia took to the stage to get the crowd on their feet while fellow Juno winner and Canadian R&B singer Sean Jones stole hearts with his soulful act. To keep the party going, DJ Barbi who has shared stages with Lupe Fiasco, A-TRAK, Chromeo, Newclaus, and many more, delivered captivating music sets to close off the night. Entertainment guests also included world renowned electric violinist Nemesis, Dr. Draw and Canadian Box Champion Scott Jackson. Mysterion the Mind Reader mesmerized attendees with his intuitive perspective, as seen on America’s Got Talent as well as Canada’s premier Bollywood Dance School Canada.

Final fundraising results are being tallied as donations continue to be made. Relive moments of the event or donate at www.mshfestivalofcolours.ca