June 10, 2025

Breaking Records While Supporting St. Joe’s Mental Health & Addictions

On Sunday, 1,500 participants came together at Confederation Park for the Hamilton edition of the Shoppers Drug Mart Run for Women supporting compassionate and stigma-free women’s mental health and addictions care at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.  

With a breezy, slightly overcast morning as their backdrop along the beach strip, St. Joe’s Foundation and Shoppers Drug Mart partnered up to break more than just a participation record. For the first time ever, the run raised more than $218,000 to enhance access to St. Joe’s mental health and substance use care. 

The tally was made up of funds raised by run participants, by Hamilton and Niagara region Shoppers Drug Mart store owners and associates with the help of in-store initiatives like Beauty Mingles and point of sale donations at the check-out, as well as corporate and hospital fundraising teams.  

Over the past seven years, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation has been the official charity partner of the Hamilton edition of the Shoppers Drug Mart Run for Women. During that time, more than $840,000 has been raised through the event for mental health and addictions care close to home at St. Joe’s. The funds raised from this year’s event bring the Hamilton edition’s all-time tally to over $1 million.  

More than 160 teams participated in the Run for Women, with a special nod to our top three fundraising teams: Shoppers Drug Mart’s JoJo’s Joggers, who raised over $14,000; local innovative automotive supplier Tiercon, raising just over $8,000; and Anxiety Queens, made up of several members of the Hamilton community, raising more than $4,000.  

A very special thank you to: 

• Dr. Randi McCabe, St. Joe’s Vice President of Mental Health and Addictions, and our event’s Community Champion. 

• Lead event sponsor and donor Shoppers Drug Mart and its owners, pharmacists, managers, associates and customers 

• 5K Local Champion Sponsor, Scarfone Hawkins LLP. 

St. Joe’s is the second largest provider of mental health and addictions services in the province. Each year, the Hospital will see more than 200,000 outpatient visits to their mental health and addictions clinics and cares for over 30,000 new patients. While government funding is critical for our services, the funds raised from this event help bridge the gaps as the demand for mental health and addictions care continues to rise in our region. 

“We’re incredibly grateful to be the beneficiary of this inspirational event for the seventh year in a row. To witness a record number of participants coming together to support an ever-growing need for women’s mental health services is truly remarkable. Thank you to the runners, walkers, fundraisers, and donors who supported St. Joe’s at the event and thank you to our friends at Shoppers Drug Mart, too,” said Sera Filice, President & CEO, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation. 

Even though the 2025 edition of Run for Women may be over, we’re still accepting donations until July 1^st. Donate securely online and find out how your support is helping women with mental health and substance abuse concerns at St. Joe’s.