More than $178,000 was raised on June 25 at Coast Capital Savings’ eighth annual Charity Golf Tournament benefiting depression research and treatment at VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation for Depression Research.

Since its inception in 2002, the Coast Capital Savings Charity Golf Tournament has raised more than $980,000, with most of the funds going toward research, treatment and awareness of mental illness. The B.C.-based credit union is known as a leader in raising awareness about and advocating increased workplace mental health.

Lynn Roberts, vice-president human resources, Coast Capital Savings, emphasizes the impact that businesses can have through programs that help in early identification and treatment of depression in the workplace.

“The whole person comes to work each day,” said Roberts. “If an employee is suffering as a result of mental illness, that doesn’t get left at home when they walk into the office. We have to throw down the stigmas and start to play a role in the identification and treatment of mental illness. It’s our responsibility to our employees.”

According to the B.C. Business and Economic Roundtable on Mental Health, 20 per cent of Canadians experience some mental disorder in a typical year and untreated depression costs the Canadian economy as much as $14 billion annually. One of the goals of the Coast Capital Savings Charity Golf Tournament is to raise awareness about the impact that untreated mental illness can have on a business – both for employees and for the bottom line.

“We’ve created a culture at Coast Capital where it’s okay for employees to be open about their mental health issues,” Roberts said. “There’s a lot that businesses can and must do to address this issue because healthy employees are more productive employees. It’s good for people and it's good for business.”

The golf fundraiser took place at the Northview Golf and Country Club in Surrey.

This year’s presenting sponsors included CRI Canada and Bull Housser & Tupper LLP and Worldsource Financial Management.

Coast Capital Savings is Canada’s second-largest credit union with total assets under administration of $12.3 billion, more than 400,000 members and 50 branches in the Metro Vancouver, Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island regions of British Columbia.

To learn more, visit www.coastcapitalsavings.com.