Marner a big hit at second annual Sink the Stigma

It was a thrilling Thursday night for fans of Mitch Marner. The Toronto Maple Leafs hockey star hosted his second annual ‘Sink the Stigma’ event at East Park Golf in London, Ont.

The event supports mental health programs for young persons.

Marner was on hand to sign autographs and mingle with fans, and he hosted a mini-golf tournament.

The evening activities also included a silent auction.

The event, hosted through the ‘Marner Assist Foundation,’ raises funds for London Health Sciences Centre’s ‘First Episode Mood and Anxiety Program,’ which supports young people from the ages of 16 to 25.

Marner says mental health is not talked about enough.

“That’s really important. Always bringing more awareness to it. Letting people know that you’re never alone in anything you’re fighting. Everyone’s always going through different things in life, so you don’t know,” said Marner.

Meantime, the event also served as the launch for a new book, Skate Guard, which was published with the support of the Marner Assist Foundation.

The book aims to help families navigate the sometimes high-pressure world of competitive hockey.

Authors Mike Jaczko and Rob Martini said it was written to help up and coming competitive hockey players avoid financial, physical, and emotional distress off the ice.

“Our goal and objective is to help children from the age of 16 to 25,” Jaczko told CTV News. “It’s been proven that if we can help them and their families along the way, the outcomes later in life are vastly improved.”

“You’ve seen it a lot in the hockey industry,” added Martini. “There’s been sort, of a little bit, of a number of guys that have taken their lives. So that was some of the inspiration for us doing what we do, is hopefully avoiding some of those not great outcomes.”

Proceeds from the book will support youth mental health services.