East End Adventure brings residents together for a common cause, helps support Michael Garron Hospital

By JESSICA SHACKLETON

The second annual East End Adventure, a fundraiser for Michael Garron Hospital (MGH), is fast approaching.

The event takes place on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 10 a.m., beginning and ending at Monarch Park.

Ahead of the event, Beach Metro Community News spoke with Dr. Jennifer Russel, Psychiatrist in Chief of Mental Health and Psychiatry at MGH, about the importance of the event that helps bring people together for a common cause.

“One of the things for this year is that loneliness and isolation are things that can be on the rise in the community. I think COVID was really an example of what happens when people are lonely, not connected, and the lack of connection to people in the community can contribute to poor mental health outcomes,” she said.

The goal of East End Adventure is to connect with your neighbours while journeying around the neighbourhood. It’s face-to-face connections with other humans.

“So getting people together that wouldn’t maybe normally get together. Even within the hospital, having teams of people who don’t necessarily work together every day, getting to know each other, having fun –  the goal is fun,” said Russel.

Though there are prizes for the top finishers and fundraisers, Russel said it’s an event that everyone wins. 

Her job as Psychiatrist in Chief of Mental Health includes organizing the mental health and substance use programs at Michael Garron and working as a psychiatrist in the Emergency Room. She came from BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver in 2023 for the job and has noticed how ingrained Michael Garron is in the neighbourhood.

“A lot of this staff at Michael Garron live in East Toronto. So there’s real pride of the hospital, and the care that we provide here. I think the pride goes both ways, too. The staff are also very proud of living and being in East Toronto. It’s a very vibrant area, very diverse; over 100 languages are spoken here. There’s amazing food, great activities, arts, like, it’s a really wonderful place to live, and so, I think [the event] is a chance to celebrate all of that together,” she said.

The money raised from East End Adventure will go towards different areas of the hospital, and anyone who’s been to the hospital recently, or even just walked by, has seen changes and improvements in action.

Michael Garron Hospital has launched several new programs recently, including a new psychiatric emergency zone which was launched last November. Within the ER, there’s a special area for pediatrics and also for people with mental health and substance concerns.

“That means that people get seen. We always have four specialized psychiatric nurses down in the emergency room, as well as psychiatry, for people to get rapid assessment and the right treatment. And that’s been really well received,” said Russel.

Also new is a clinic called Connections that provides rapid follow-up for people who were seen in the ER who don’t have a mental health doctor because it’s their first time presenting symptoms or there is a long waitlist. Connections makes sure they are followed up within a few days and are getting the right care.

They also have a psychiatrist that goes to Thorncliffe Park Community Hub and works with midwives. This is an example of integrated care, said Russel.

“The psychiatrist is right next door. So you’re not having to go to the hospital. People can be seen in a community where they feel comfortable with the team, that they trust and get the same level of care,” she said.

Recognizing the high need surrounding growing substance abuse issues in Toronto, Michael Garron has done a lot of work to make care accessible. “We started an addiction medicine on-call service last year, which is 24 hours a day, where physicians who are treating people at Michael Garron have access to an addiction medicine specialist to make sure that they are getting the right care and that people are getting connected,” said Russel. “We’ve also really been improving the care at WMS, which is our Withdrawal Management Site. They’re probably the first detox that I know of that has addiction physicians at the detox.”

The programs highlighted are just some examples of the innovations the hospital is working toward. Michael Garron staff are looking forward to seeing everyone at the event.

“Healthcare workers work really hard, but there’s a real joy in providing good care and a real joy of being part of this wonderful community. We feel very grateful. And I think it’s exciting to kind of bring everyone together. Because health is everyone’s responsibility,” said Russel.

Participants are encouraged to get to know someone new and connect with the local businesses they’ll be visiting. People of all ages and abilities (and their dogs) are welcome to join.

An all-day festival is taking place all day at Monarch Park with live music, refreshments, oversized games, and more. Monarch Park is located at 115 Festead Ave.

Michael Garron Hospital has been on Coxwell Avenue for more than 100 years and serves 400 000 people.

A minimum of $300 must be raised before the start of the event to participate. To register, or for more information on how to support the East End Adventure, please go to https://mghf.akaraisin.com/ui/eastendadventure2026