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In February 2025, Team Â鶹´«Ã½: Stronger Together joined thousands of Canadians in the CMHA Push-Up Challenge¡ªa national fitness fundraiser led by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) to raise funds and awareness for mental health support across the country. The challenge? Complete 2,000 push-ups over 18 days to honor the 2,000 lives lost to suicide every day around the world.

And what a challenge it was. With 30 teams and 257 participants across the country, Â鶹´«Ã½ employees rallied together in offices, homes, gyms, and even during chilly outdoor walks to push, squat, plank, and stretch their way to a better future for mental health.

Real people, real impact

Together, our employees completed over 276,000 push-ups and raised $23,999, securing second place on the national community leaderboard. However, the most powerful impact came from our Dollar Match Day sponsorship.

On February 19, every donation made from noon onward was matched dollar-for-dollar, thanks to Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s $50,000 matching gift. That match was maxed out in just under an hour¡ªhelping unlock a total of more than $284,000 in impact for mental health programming.

As CMHA shared:

¡°Thanks to your support, we came a little closer to our goal. Having Â鶹´«Ã½ as a Matching Day Donor has been groundbreaking. Your $50,000 support turned into more than $280,000 in impact.¡±

Moments that moved us

This challenge wasn¡¯t just about numbers¡ªit was about connection, awareness, and community. Here¡¯s what some of our incredible teammates had to say:

¡°I loved the way this challenge brought people together,¡± said Carlie Pauls, an internal practice auditor in our Winnipeg office. Carlie not only completed the challenge with her work team but also inspired friends outside of Â鶹´«Ã½ to join in unofficially. ¡°Challenging them was a great way to start the conversation and enabled me to share with them why I was doing the challenge. I believe mental health is another form of physical health. I call it ¡®brain health¡¯¡ªwhen we treat it like our heart or our muscles, we can begin to normalize caring for it daily. Exercise is so great for the brain, so I believe this challenge hits the nail on the head. I did push-ups, sit-ups, hiking in the cold, boxing, horseback riding, and even had my dog jump on me mid-sit-up. It was a full-body, full-heart kind of effort. I¡¯d love to see us keep the momentum going all year long¡ªbrain health should be a part of our everyday routines.¡±

¡°There were a few on our team that would beat me¡­ I was gunning to be the first to 2,000 push-ups!¡± said Pat Poelzer, a senior vice president in our Edmonton office. Pat jumped into the challenge fresh off a round of P90X. ¡°I was feeling good physically, but I still had to push myself to get the reps in early each day. It turned into a bit of a friendly competition with teammates, and I was determined to finish strong. My dog always joined in too¡ªshe¡¯d do a downward dog right under me every time I got into position. This partnership is for a good cause and genuinely fun to do. Next year, I¡¯m planning to recruit a team and bring even more people along for the ride.¡±

¡°We racked up 3,258 push-ups and raised $229. A small effort, but I¡¯m glad we gained some momentum after a slow start!¡± said James Abend, a senior design coordinator in our Dartmouth office. James hadn¡¯t planned to start a team at all. ¡°I was originally going to support from the sidelines in my role as the local social committee lead, but then I realized no one else had stepped up, I figured¡ªif nobody¡¯s driving the bus, it¡¯s not going anywhere. So, I set up a team a little late and was proud of what we accomplished. It was a great reminder that showing up, even in small ways, can make a difference. Next time, I¡¯d love to help clarify the challenge. It¡¯s not about maxing out in one go, it¡¯s about showing up every day, consistently, for yourself and for others.¡±

More than a challenge

For many, this was more than a physical feat. It was an opportunity to talk openly about mental health, reduce stigma, and support those navigating personal challenges. With one in three Canadians struggling with mental health and 1.6 million Canadians unable to access the care they need, efforts like this truly matter.

This is just the beginning. Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s partnership with CMHA continues, and we¡¯re already dreaming up what next year could look like¡ªmore push-ups, more stories, and more support for mental health in Canada.

Together, we pushed for better¡ªand we¡¯re not done yet!