Niagara mom aims to turn Niagara PLAID In Memory of her daughter and others lost to suicide

St. Catharines, ON (November 1, 2021) – A passion project that began with a few family and friends has quickly grown to become a movement to turn Niagara plaid in November.

Following the tragic loss of Amelia Durocher to suicide in February of 2019, her mother Shanta Rangaratnam channeled her energy and grief into #ProjectPlaid. Plaid was Amelia’s signature style, whether she was out with friends, heading to class at Brock or to work at Winner’s you would typically see something plaid on Amelia.

In its first year, #ProjectPlaid encouraged people to wear plaid on what would have been Amelia’s 19th birthday, November 27th and to donate to the campaign. In under two years, over $20,000 has been raised for Pathstone Mental Health.

With the addition of corporate support from Meridian and the Niagara Ice Dogs, and interest from many local companies and community members, this mission is evolving into a movement. “This was never just about Amelia, says Shanta, this campaign was about talking openly about mental health with the hope that something like this never happens to another child or their family.”

This year, Black Friday, will become Plaid Friday, on November 26th.  At 10:15 pm Niagara Falls will be illuminated Black & Red In Honour of #ProjectPlaid. The night before, (Nov. 25th) will be Plaid Eve at the Niagara Ice Dogs game when they take on the Hamilton Bulldogs. Those attending the game are encouraged to wear plaid and can also donate to Pathstone on-site to receive a #ProjectPlaid sticker and or purchase a signature #ProjectPlaid toque. (available on the concourse level)

Companies, clubs, schools and teams can also JOIN THE MOVEMENT and support Pathstone in a variety of ways. More info on how can be found at www.pathstonefoundation.ca

“It is an honour to take part in this growing, important and meaningful movement” said Janice Calverley, Interim Chief Operating Officer, Meridian. “At Meridian, we are committed to building resilience, and that includes mental health resilience. We are thrilled to be a part of the conversation, wearing our plaid and supporting Pathstone Foundation.”

“We are still in this, and the mental health cases we are seeing at Pathstone clearly shows that the pandemic has made a troublesome impact on many. This campaign will bring some light and much love to those who are struggling.”
Kim Rossi, Director of Philanthropy- Pathstone Foundation.

About Pathstone Mental Health

A community-based organization with a mission to provide innovative and effective treatment for all children in Niagara struggling with mental health issues. Thanks to support from our donors and volunteers, we are able to address and meet the needs of more children and their families. We are the primary accredited provider of mental health services for children in Niagara and a lead agency for the province of Ontario. We have been helping kids for over 50 years in Niagara. Note, Crisis & Support is offered 24/7 by calling 1-800-263-4944.

About Meridian

With more than 75 years of banking history, Meridian is Ontario’s largest credit union, and second largest in Canada, helping to grow the lives of 380,000 Members. Meridian has $27.6 billion in assets under management (September 30, 2021) and delivers a full range of financial services online, by phone, by mobile and through a network of 89 branches across Ontario, and business banking services in 15 locations. Meridian cardholders also have access to over 43,000 surcharge-free ABMs in North America with THE EXCHANGE® Network and the Allpoint Network in the US. For more information, please visit: meridiancu.ca, follow us on Twitter @MeridianCU or visit us on Facebook 

For more information or for assistance arranging interviews, please contact: Kim Rossi, Director of Philanthropy and Public Relations – Pathstone Foundation / Mental Health krossi@pathstone.ca or 289-969-8342.

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