These awards recognize an individual, a BC-based non-profit organization, and a BC-based company that are working to improve the health and safety of British Columbians. Nominees must have demonstrated a concern for health and safety through specific actions or initiatives. These actions must show ingenuity and creativity, and have resulted in change with the potential for positive, long-term improvement.
DR STU GERSHMAN A Victoria-based Sport Medicine doctor, established the Buddy Check for Jesse (BCFJ) initiative when his young son Jesse tragically took his own life in the fall of 2014. An avid youth hockey coach, Dr Gershman began this initiative in the wake of a massive loss and created a support network of coaches across the province who speak to their impressionable teams about the importance of mental health. Since its inception, more than 15,000 youth hockey players across the province have heard the BCFJ’s message that it is a strength, not a weakness, to share feelings and emotions. The program is set to expand to other sports in the future.
