Each year in October, Canadians speak up and participate in Mental Health Awareness Week to educate the public about the stigma around mental health, raise awareness and share experiences.

This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week in Canada, and on Saturday, Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw and Las Vegas Golden Knights forward Nick Cousins will be in their hometown of Belleville with the goal of raising funds and awareness for local mental health initiatives.

Shaw and Cousins will be onsite for a pop-up tent sale selling Ducky Brand Apparel at the HockeyStickMan warehouse in Belleville.

HockeyStickMan has been a family-owned and operated business since 2010 with the mission of providing amateur and recreational level players with top of the line products at unbeatable prices by offering new and used pro stock equipment, manufacturer direct products and refurbished products.

“HockeyStickMan has always wanted to help with the many players that face mental health challenges in our game and Ducky Brand proved to be the perfect way to get involved,” said HSM Hockey President Joey Walsh.

“They’re an apparel company that donates a large portion of profits to mental health initiatives, which helps to break the stigma and allows people to speak out just by wearing a great brand. That is why we see so many prominent players in the NHL and junior wearing it and supporting the cause,” said Walsh.

Ducky Brand Apparel was established in 2019 by a group of young hockey players after realizing how costly mental health resources can be. The company was formed with the vision of donating 30 per cent of all profits to those suffering from mental illness and created the Ducky Brand Logo as a symbol of connectivity and support for those who have or are currently suffering from mental illness.

“We are thankful to have the support of Andrew Shaw, Nick Cousins, and HockeyStickMan,” said Ducky Brand founder Aidan Girduckis. “They give us a major boost and allow us to continue to try to grow the concept and to promote our message. With all of us working together I have no doubt we will have a positive impact on many people’s lives.”

Customers are requested to wear a mask and observe social distancing. The HSM warehouse will remain open with a limited number of customers inside at a time, and hand sanitizer will be made available.

Taking place outdoors, the pop-up event will feature the new fall 2020 Ducky Brand Apparel lineup and the HSM Super Sale with deep discounts on top of the line sticks, gear and training aids. All in-store or online purchases will come with a signed autograph from Andrew Shaw, and Shaw and Cousins will be onsite at HSM from 9:30 to 10:30 am. Saturday.

PLEASE NOTE THAT NICK COUSINS IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE FOR THE EVENT ON SATURDAY. HE WISHES EVERYONE HIS BEST.