Red Deer College athletes are doing their part to combat the stigma of mental health.

Both the Kings and Queen's basketball teams along with the King's hockey team will be promoting their Make Some Noise for Mental Health campaign, presented by the Royal Bank of Canada, during their games on Friday and Saturday.

Athletic Director Diane St. Denis says mental health is something that affects us all, and this weekend is a great way to get the message out on ways to help fight the battle.

“Overall it’s about people coming together, having a pile of fun and understanding that we need to start the conversation,” said St. Denis.

Speed skater and two-time Olympian Anastasia Bucsis will be attending the basketball games on Friday to help spread awareness.

The Olympian's visit to the college is just one of many activities taking place this weekend.

“We’ll have people here handing out information regarding mental health, so if someone is looking for some resources it could be an opportunity to come and get that,” said St.Denis.

St Denis said the biggest misconception regarding mental health is that people who struggle believe they are alone in the fight. 

“People think that it’s just them, but we all deal with it. We all have to take care of our mental health and it starts with being aware.”  

Tonight's event also wraps up the college's two-week long, Take Some Time campaign, supporting mental health. 

Emily Swier, Student Representative for Take Some Time and Queens hockey player, said the pressure of balancing education and sport has allowed her to understand the importance of talking about mental health.

“As a student athlete, there’s an expectation to maintain a certain level of excellence in sport and also in the classroom. Sharing different coping methods with each other is helpful,” said Swier.

“Just talking about it, being open to talk about it with others and encouraging others to talk about it is what’s really important.”

The Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) has involved every team in their league and has partnered up with Canadian Mental Health Association Alberta Division (CMHA AB) to run the Make Some Noise for Mental Health campaign.

The Kings and Queen's basketball teams play tonight in RDC's main gym, starting at 6 p.m. The King's hockey team plays on Saturday in the Penhold Multiplex at 7 p.m.