Jack Ride 2025 responds to growing mental health crisis among youth

May 29, 2025 · 0 Comments

By Riley Murphy

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

More than 700 cyclists, supporters, and volunteers filled the Caledon East Community Complex parking lot this past weekend for Jack Ride 2025, Canada’s Ride for Youth Mental Health.

The event aims to raise funds for critical mental health education and prevention programs for young Canadians in every province and territory.

Cyclists rode along routes with distances ranging from 25 km to 100 km.

Jack Ride began in 2010 and has been advocating for Youth Mental Health since then.

Jack Ride helps to power the broader program of Jack.org’s mission to build communities and systems that support mental health.

Eric Windeler and Sandra Hanington founded “The Jack Project” after the tragic loss of their son Jack, a first-year student at Queen’s University.

Hanington shared that when the project began, it was just a handful of riders who got together.

“It was the beginning of a community that was forming around us, really trying to understand what was going on with youth mental health and trying to figure out what we could do about it,” said Hanington.

She shared after that first Ride they realized they could make it about community and fundraising.

“It is so gratifying; this work is hard, we’re dealing with young people who are suffering and as parents, family members, and friends we just want to try and help,” said Hanington. “For us, having found a way that we can actually help young people with mental health deal with their friends who are struggling is really rewarding.”

Hanington said their goal is to help people feel comfortable, understanding what they’re going through, recognize the signs in themselves and others, and feel empowered to reach out for help for themselves and others.

“We are so grateful to our volunteers and our sponsors who make this happen. It would be just Eric and I if it wasn’t for all of them. [Eric] the founding genius, our original CEO, has just done such a fabulous job turning a spark of an idea into a movement,” said Hanington.

As the 100km riders set out for their route, Vivien Glencross, the Interim President and CEO of Jack.org and the VP of Development and Marketing, spoke on how this organization drew her in three years ago.

She has two adolescent children of her own, and seeing how COVID affected them, once this opportunity came up, she stated she gravitated towards it.

“It felt like a personal opportunity for me to give back to the community, to help my own kids, and hopefully set the path forward for others in the future to have the support that they need,” said Glencross.

Glencross shared that growing up herself, there wasn’t much talk surrounding mental health.

“I really wish that there was an organization like Jack.org that would have given me the permission, the freedom, the language to describe what I was feeling and help get the support that I needed. It felt like my way of giving back to my younger self, and certainly to future kids across Canada,” said Glencross.

She shared that through Jack.org they are seeing young people get help, but there are so many more people to reach.

Tim Sellers is a longtime rider and supporter, and he was there at the very beginning riding almost 16 years ago.

Sellers has known the family for a long time and attended school with Eric Windeler.

He shared that he immediately jumped on board because he was so close to the family when the event began.

“I’ve raised $150,000 over the years, and I think the thing that I’ve really noticed is that the awareness about mental health related to young people, and everyone for that matter, has grown. People are willing to jump in and make financial contributions because they understand that it is something that needs to be addressed,” said Sellers. “Governments and other people just aren’t addressing it as much as they need to. The fact that Jack.org is a different kind of organization with this peer-to-peer help, and with the Jack chapters, and the Jack talks, it’s pretty remarkable.”

Sellers noted the bittersweetness of the crowd gathered around him that day.

“It’s amazing that it has grown to the extent that it has. But, it’s also because the need is so great,” said Sellers. “On the one hand, it’s wonderful to see it grow. But on the flip side, it’s sad that it needs to be so large and needs to grow even more.”

Dzhafar Kabidenov, a current Ontario network representative at Jack.org, got involved with the program through their Be There Certificate (BTC).

BTC is an online training program that breaks down mental health into relatable, practical lessons.

It’s been a year-and-a-half since he first joined the program, and this was his first Jack Ride.

“I’m really excited to feel the energy of this place and see all people who are united by the same cause of supporting youth mental health,” shared Kabidenov.

Kabidenov shared that over the 15 years of existence, Jack Ride has raised over 11 million dollars, and more than 11,000 riders have participated.

But, the great volunteer efforts weren’t the only reason Kabidenov joined.

As an international student, he shared that he felt quite isolated from his familial support systems and mechanisms that he was used to back home, on top of trying to study in a second language surrounded by completely new people.

Kabidenov started to face a mental health struggle, and it was his residence assistant who approached him, shared what he had noticed, and referred him to mental health resources.

“After that, I have been feeling this sense of wanting to give back to my community, and that’s how I originally joined Jack.org, and through participating in Jack.org events, I started developing this passion of loving how Jack.org creates reciprocal communities of reciprocal mental health care,” shared Kabidenov.

“It was the community that helped me go through my struggle, and through that process I started feeling even more a part of this community. And now, this kind of willingness to give back is only rising, and I feel like I entered a cycle of giving back to my community, and my community supporting me when I need it.”

Glencross also had a message for the community that showed up and showed out for Jack Ride this weekend.

“You are making a difference. Every person here who has shown up at 6.30 in the morning, has raised any amount of money. You are making a difference. You’re not only raising money for our organization, but you are putting your voice to our cause, and saying that it is important that you see young people, that we’re in a mental health crisis, and you support and stand by us. It’s all about community, it’s all about supporting one another, and it’s really building a brighter future for young people across Canada.”