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“Before I Die” project launches in Kelowna

Project head said the installation contributes to mental health conversation

An Okanagan prototype of the Before I Die project has launched in Kelowna.

Jules Galloway, the owner of local interior design firm Evolve Design, is spearheading the project in the Okanagan.

She said they wanted to give back to the community, and the project was a great way to do that as it will push residents to think deeper about what they want to do with their lives.

“It gets people to start thinking about their mortality, what they need to do and what impact they can do with their life and what they can do now,” Galloway said.

“It’s an art installation for the community… it’s cool to see we can bring something to the art scene here in Kelowna that is open to everyone, from the children to the wealthy and not so wealthy and everybody in between.”

Galloway said Wednesday’s launch is the prototype of what they want to happen. The plan is to have four installations in the city: the Cultural District in downtown, Landmark District, Leon and Sutherland and at UBCO. She said they want to bring the project throughout the Okanagan but for now, the focus is Kelowna.

She added they wanted to launch on Bell Let’s Talk Day to highlight that people’s desires, beliefs, and even struggles are the same and no one is truly alone.

“I think it will be something that will link us all. Mental health isn’t discriminatory: it’s everybody from the young to the old, the rich and the poor. I think the conversation just needs to get louder. The more we can talk about (mental health) to our peers, the people we go to work with, the people we go to school with, the more the conversation gets louder and hopefully, the support network will get louder too.”

She said children, youth and those out on the streets need more mental health support.

“As a community, we can do so much better. There are people doing amazing things, but we can do so much better if we all join together a little bit more,” Galloway said.

“It just made sense to link the project with Bell Let’s Talk because it’s helping people to understand we all have issues, that we all have the same dreams, we all want to do cool things or tiny things with our lives and it just brings everything into the moment.”

The prototype can be found at Evolve Design’s office at Landmark 2. Members of the community can drop by the office and write on the walls from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.

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Twila Amato
Video journalist, Black Press Okanagan
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Twila Amato

About the Author: Twila Amato

Twila was a radio reporter based in northern Vancouver Island. She won the Jack Webster Student Journalism Award while at BCIT and received a degree in ancient and modern Greek history from McGill University.
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