Musicians, Performers, and Athletes Unite to Send Message of Hope and Gratitude to Canada's Youth in New Special, UNSINKABLE YOUTH, May 22 on CTV

-  Hosted by Silken Laumann and Maitreyi Ramakrishnan and including musical performances by Lennon Stella, Johnny Orlando and The Reklaws in support of Kids Help Phone
-  One-hour special airs Friday, May 22 at 1 p.m. ET on CTV, as well as Facebook and YouTube

TORONTO, May 14, 2020 /CNW/ - Unsinkable, Kids Help Phone, and Bell Media are teaming up to present the brand-new one-hour special UNSINKABLE YOUTH, an inspiring and unforgettable multi-platform celebration in support of Canadian youth. Hosted by Olympian and Unsinkable founder Silken Laumann and NEVER HAVE I EVER star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, the event will raise awareness of the current mental health crisis among Canadian youth and features musicians, performers, and athletes including Johnny Orlando, Hayley Wickenheiser, Jacob Tremblay, The Reklaws, Tessa Virtue, Wali Shah, Lauren Orlando, and Lennon Stella and many more to be announced. The one-hour event airs on Friday, May 22 at 1 p.m. ET on CTV and everywhere CTV content can be found, as well as Facebook and YouTube.

"Kids Help Phone has seen unprecedented numbers in recent weeks - outreach has more than doubled across Canada. Clearly, Canadian youth are in crisis and more than ever, they need to be heard, reassured, and empowered during these very uncertain times," said Silken Laumann, Olympian/Founder, Unsinkable. "UNSINKABLE YOUTH is a unique opportunity to create a meaningful dialogue around mental health specifically about and for young people. This is also a chance to thank Canada's youth for their courage and the sacrifices they have made these past few months. We know they have had to miss out on some of their favourite things - with UNSINKABLE YOUTH, we wanted to create an event and a groundswell of appreciation and support that they can't miss. Our young people in many ways have been hit the hardest, because they have lost things they can't get back - high school graduation, their championship game, their grade ten crush."

"We are so proud and honoured to work with Kids Help Phone and Bell Media who share our vision for creating a sense of community across the country to help all Canadians achieve better mental, physical and spiritual health," continued Laumann.

"For all young people across the country the COVID-19 crisis can be overwhelming and frightening – we are intimately aware as we've seen an enormous surge in mental health service requests via phone, text and chat from youth across the country experiencing anxiety, fear and isolation," said Katherine Hay, President and CEO, Kids Help Phone. "We are truly grateful to Unsinkable, and their incredible partners, for helping lift the spirits of young people across the country. They have been through so much. Unsinkable Youth is an opportunity to celebrate their strength and lift spirits across the country."

"CTV aims to bring families closer together with this special as it shares vital, relatable, and powerful messages that are felt by so many youth across the country," said Mike Cosentino, President, Content and Programming, Bell Media. "With the significant impact of mental health struggles right now, we hope the one-hour special ignites conversations to support our youth and is a resource of entertainment during this time of uncertainty, with appearances and performances from some of Canada's biggest stars, musicians, and athletes."

Kids Help Phone Stats

• Outreach to Kids Help Phone has more than doubled across Canada during the COVID-19 crisis;
• Outreach doubled in Nova Scotia following the mass shooting;
• Demand for service remains 63 per cent higher on texting platform, 55 per cent higher through phone;
• Kids Help Phone conducts 5 - 10 active rescues for people in danger of suicide per day.

Unsinkable will launch youth dedicated social media handles May 15^th, 2020.

About Unsinkable
Unsinkable is a non-profit organization founded by four-time Olympian Silken Laumann that inspires and empowers Canadians. Our mission is to connect and empower Canadians to achieve better mental, physical and spiritual health. Whether celebrity, neighbour, youth or health expert, our stories hold wisdom and power. We are creating a connected community to empower Canadians on their journey to greatness. Together, we are Unsinkable.

Social Media
Website: weareunsinkable.com
Hashtag: #UnsinkableYouth
Twitter: @Unsinkable
Facebook: facebook.com/WeAreUnsinkable
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsinkablestories/ 
Youth Instagram: www.instagram.com/unsinkableyouth
TIK TOK: @unsinkableyouth

About Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone is Canada's only 24/7 e-mental health service offering free, confidential support in English and French to young people. As the country's virtual care expert, we give millions of youth a safe, trusted space to talk over phone and online chat or through text message with Crisis Text Line powered by Kids Help Phone in any moment of crisis or need. Through our digital transformation, we envision a future where every person in Canada is able to get the support they need, when they need it most and we have most recently realized that through Crisis Text Line Canada. This innovation is fueled by courageous donors, partners, volunteers and more. Learn more at KidsHelpPhone.ca or @KidsHelpPhone.

About CTV
CTV is Canada's #1 television brand. CTV provides unparalleled entertainment programming across two broadcast television networks; a powerful suite of specialty channels including CTV Comedy Channel, CTV Drama Channel, CTV Life Channel, and CTV Sci-Fi Channel; and digital platforms CTV.ca, CTV Throwback, CTV Movies, and the CTV app. CTV has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 18 years in a row and features a wide range of sports and information programming, including CTV News, Canada's highest-rated national and local newscasts. CTV comes from Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and out-of-home advertising

About Bell Media
Bell Media is Canada's leading content creation company with premier assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, digital media, and more. Bell Media owns 30 local television stations led by CTV, Canada's highest-rated television network; 29 specialty channels, including leading specialty services TSN and RDS. Bell Media is Canada's largest radio broadcaster, with 215 music channels including 109 licensed radio stations in 58 markets across the country, all part of the iHeartRadio brand and streaming service. Bell Media owns Astral, an out-of-home advertising network of 50,000 faces in five provinces. The country's digital media leader, Bell Media develops and operates websites, apps, and online platforms for its news and entertainment brands; video streaming services Crave, TSN Direct, and RDS Direct; and multi-channel network Much Studios. The company owns a majority stake in Pinewood Toronto Studios; is a partner in Just for Laughs, the live comedy event and TV producer; and jointly owns Dome Productions Partnership., one of North America's leading production facilities providers. Bell Media is part of BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. Learn more at www.BellMedia.ca.

SOURCE CTV

and media interview requests, please contact: Touchwood PR, Andrea Grau, [email protected]; Judy Lung, [email protected]; CTV, Madison McCloskey, [email protected]