U Ottawa Women's Softball and DIFD

The University of Ottawa Women’s Softball team is dedicating their games from September 16-18 to the DIFD (Do it for Daron) organization in Ottawa. DIFD is named for Daron Richardson, a 14 year old girl in Ottawa who took her own life on November 12th 2010. The organization raises money to help remove the stigma from mental illness and help young people who suffer in silence.

The team is playing 3 sets of double-headers that weekend against Carleton, Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Waterloo. The team will wear special purple uniforms for each of the games.

The games will be played at Pierre Rocque Park in Orleans.

Friday vs Carleton 7 and 9

Saturday vs Laurier 2 and 4

Sunday vs Waterloo 12 and 2

Raising awareness and removing the stigma of mental health are critical issues facing Canada’s youth.

Suicide is among the leading causes of death in 15-24 year old Canadians, second only to accidents;
42% of youth say they would feel uncomfortable revealing they had a mental illness;
1 in 5 youth are affected by mental illness, but only 1 in 6 receive treatment or service;
In Canada, there are 3.2 million youth between the ages of 12-19 who are at risk for developing depression;
Canada loses close to 200 children and youth to suicide every year
With 1 in 5 Canadians developing Mental Health issues in their teenage years, it is incumbent on the other 4 in 5 to create a culture for them to discuss their issues. By raising awareness, the UOttawa Softball team is helping create that culture.

In addition, the team is hosting their 6th annual "Bridge to the Future Clinic" for minor athletes from 10-12 on Saturday morning.