Event of 'unparalleled' advocacy: CRESCENDO makes Calgary debut to rave reviews

The reviews are in and everyone agrees: CRESCENDO absolutely rocked.

Long familiar to Edmontonians, this one-of-a-kind experience made its Calgary debut to a standing ovation at the Arts Commons Jack Singer Concert Hall on May 24.

More than 160 artists and members of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra dazzled the audience with amazing performances while courageous young people and their families shared stories of inspiration in support of Calgary’s much-needed Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health.

The evening was presented by the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and produced by the John Cameron Changing Lives Foundation, a powerful ally for mental health initiatives like the Centre, an innovative facility that will be a crucial resource for kids and families in need of mental health support.

“This is a life-long battle for some, and until recently it has been something that no one ever wanted to talk or hear about. CRESCENDO is changing that stigma and will continue to do so in the future." — John Cameron

John Cameron of the John Cameron Changing Lives Foundation.

Dr. Chris Wilkes, medical director for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in the Calgary Health Region, applauded CRESCENDO, calling it an event of “unparalleled” advocacy.

“I don’t think I have ever witnessed a more passionate call-to-action,” he says.

“Seventy per cent of mental health issues begin in childhood, which is why we are committed to building the Centre for Child & Adolescent Mental Health,” says Saifa Koonar, President and CEO of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“The need is clear, and we are so grateful to our sponsors, everyone in the community who bought tickets, and of course to the John Cameron Changing Lives Foundation for their incredible support. They put on an absolutely amazing show and we couldn’t be more thrilled about the awareness CRESCENDO generated for our Build Them Up campaign to build the Centre and support vital programming and research.”

See our Flickr album for more exciting photos from CRESCENDO.

The Centre marks an important step forward for mental health in our community. It will provide three new important services to help young people and their families with mental health needs before they escalate into crises that require hospitalization.

The $50-million build is expected to break ground this summer in the northwest Calgary community of Hounsfield Heights.

“We hope that purpose-building the Centre for kids and teens within a beautiful community setting will help encourage more youth and families to reach out for help when they need it," says program manager, Ryan Clements.

Click here to learn more about the facility and help us Build The Centre and Build Them Up!