Ontario man to begin cross-Canada run in St. John’s to raise funds for mental health

A man from Ontario plans to begin a cross-country run in St. John’s next month in an effort to raise money and awareness for mental health care in Canada.

Myles Dininio of Zephyr, Ont., says he will start the roughly 8,000-kilometre journey on April 1 on Water Street. The run is expected to take about four and a half months and will end in Vancouver.

Dininio hopes to raise $50,000 for Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, a Toronto-based hospital specializing in mental health and addiction treatment.

The run builds on a personal milestone for Dininio, who previously crossed Canada by bicycle when he was 18 years old. He said that experience planted the seed for the long-held goal of eventually completing the journey on foot.

Dininio said the run is both a personal challenge and an opportunity to highlight the importance of accessible mental health care.

He plans to document the trip on social media as he makes his way across the country.

The run will begin on Water Street in downtown St. John's and is scheduled to finish in Vancouver later this summer.

Donations can be made here.