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Golf tournament funds mental health, addiction care in the northeast
A golf fundraiser on July 31 will be hosted at the Idylwylde Golf and Country Club in support of Health Sciences North's mental health and addiction programs.
Golfers will gather at the Idylwylde Golf and Country Club on July 31 for a charity tournament supporting mental health and addiction services through the Health Sciences North (HSN) Foundation.
The event, hosted by the Sudbury and District Medical Society, features a nine-hole tournament and dinner, with proceeds going toward expanding mental health care across the region.
'Mental health is a priority, and it's not something you can always see with the eye, but it's just as serious to us,' said Chelsea Parent, a community engagement specialist with HSN Foundation.
'We see over 14,000 outpatients a year, and that number continues to rise.'
Dr. Rayudu Koka + Chelsea Parent
Dr. Rayudu Koka (left), president of the Sudbury and District Medical Society and a local psychiatrist and Chelsea Parent (right), a community engagement specialist with HSN Foundation at the Idylwylde Golf and Country in Greater Sudbury, Ont., on July 3, 2025, to talk about an upcoming fundraising golf event in support of the foundation hosted by the medical society. (Alana Everson/CTV News Northern Ontario)
Dr. Rayudu Koka, president of the Sudbury and District Medical Society and a local psychiatrist, cited multiple factors behind the increasing demand for mental health services.
'Socioeconomic conditions, employment problems, and also substance use seem to be on the rise, especially in northern Ontario – and Sudbury is not an exception here,' said Dr. Koka.
'That seems to be the problem we are facing.'
Despite these challenges, Dr. Koka noted a positive trend: more people are seeking help without fear of judgment.
'The stigma still exists but [it's] much better now. People are educated, people seem to be coming forward more and more without that stigma being attached to their illness, because anyone can be ill,' he said.
Funds raised will also support HSN's outpatient mental health services in Blind River, Elliot Lake, Espanola, Little Current, and St. Charles, expanding access to care across northeastern Ontario.
