A sold-out crowd in Waterloo helped raise more than $80,000 on Wednesday night to tackle the long wait times young people face when they need mental health support. The WRHN Foundation hosted the third annual Stronger Together Mental Health Dinner at Rupert Street Recording Studio in Waterloo on May 27, 2026, with all proceeds going to child and youth mental health care at Waterloo Regional Health Network.
In just three years, the dinner has brought in over $195,000 for children’s mental health programming and equipment in the region. This year’s funds will help launch the Integrated Collaborative Care Project for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, a first-of-its-kind model in Ontario that connects kids with help from pediatricians, psychiatrists, family doctors, and other health professionals under one coordinated plan. The aim is to speed up access and cut down the waiting that can stretch months or even years.
The evening, led by realtor Scott Henderson, also recognized four community members with Bloom Awards for breaking down stigma and pushing mental health support forward. Scott Tonelli received the Community Impact award for his Change 4 Change holiday light show in Arthur, which has raised more than $40,000 over five years. Steven Page, a Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee and founding member of Barenaked Ladies, was honoured for Mental Health Advocacy after speaking openly about his own struggles. Tracy Valko, who founded the dinner and runs Valko Financial, also received a Mental Health Advocacy award. Maddi Kolberg of Generations Collective took home the Patient Resilience award for turning personal loss into advocacy for other families.
The fundraising comes as Ontario grapples with a staggering backlog: 28,000 children and youth are on wait lists for community mental health services, with some waits reaching 919 days for intensive treatment. Organizers say every dollar raised helps the local hospital network chip away at that crisis.
The Stronger Together Mental Health Dinner was presented by Generations Collective, with additional support from SV Law, the Goodman Family Foundation, BMO, and Rupert Street Recording.
