We’re not sure which was the bigger story Saturday night: prominent suicide prevention researcher Zach Kaminsky rocking a ZZ Top tune on his electric violin or a local musician whose performance at Ottawa Blues for Youth can be traced back to a simple act of kindness.

The event, Ottawa Blues for Youth, has grown from its pub-scene roots to the stage of The Gladstone Theatre, located in Little Italy. Presented by Bell Let’s Talk, the evening raised $35,056 for The Royal’s Youth-Nominated Support Team (YNST). “Our goal was $25,000 this year due to the poor economic climate, so we’re thrilled,” founder Anita Manley later told CiTC.

The concert was headlined by local singer-songwriter Alanna J. Brown and the Juno-nominated JW Jones Band, the latter of which featured a special guest to perform with them. “You didn’t want to just watch us old guys on stage, so we brought the youth,” said Jones before introducing Ottawa teen Mason Hartwick as “one of my favourite guitar players in the city.”

Dr. Kaminsky, DIFD-Mach-Gaensslen Chair in Suicide Prevention Research at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, opened the concert with ZZ Top’s La Grange, nailing both the legendary opening riff and the band’s signature swagger. This followed his participation in a serious on-stage discussion about youth suicide prevention with Manley and volunteer Maddy Eisenberg, moderated by Katherine Dines, host on the radio station Move 100.

(Short performance video clips are featured at the end of this event coverage).

JW Jones on stage with his band at The Gladstone Theatre during a benefit concert for youth suicide prevention. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

Ottawa youth Mason Hartwick performed with the JW Jones Band at Ottawa Blues for Youth, a fundraiser for youth suicide prevention, held at The Gladstone Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

Manley told her audience how she was inspired to raise funds for the YNST initiative after learning that suicide was the second-leading cause of death among young people and young adults.

YNST is tailored for youth who have recently experienced a suicide attempt or serious thoughts of suicide, and involves selecting a team of three to four trusted adults — family members, teachers, coaches or community leaders — who receive training in suicide prevention. These chosen adults receive training through such partner organizations as Pleo, a family peer support agency. The goal is to reduce isolation and provide consistent and compassionate support during a critical period.

The data has shown that the program is really helping people and saving lives, said Dr. Kaminsky.

Dr. Zach Kaminsky, DIFD-Mach-Gaensslen Chair in Suicide Prevention Research at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, spoke about the success of The Royal’s Youth-Nominated Support Team program in reducing youth suicides at a fundraiser held at The Gladstone Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

Eisenberg acknowledged that she could have benefitted from the program in her early 20s, when she was suffering from serious anxiety and depression. The help just wasn’t there, she added.

“When I sought out these resources, I was told pretty much again and again, ‘There’s no room for you here’, ‘We can’t support you’, ‘There’s not enough funding’. That was not only incredibly frustrating but it was also kind of a lightbulb moment,” said Eisenberg, who recognized the need for change.

Attendees included The Royal’s CEO, Cara Vaccarino, as well as Chris Ide, president of The Royal Foundation for Mental Health. Ottawa MP Yasir Naqvi dropped in to show his support. Also in the audience was Sandy McDonald, regional director of community affairs for Bell Canada, and Pleo executive director Michelle Crogie.

From left, Pleo board chair Angela Fenton, Pleo executive director Michelle Crogie, Meghan Hanley (board member at The Royal), The Royal’s president and CEO, Cara Vaccarino, and Chris Ide, president of The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, at the Ottawa Blues for Youth. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

Mental health advocate and Ottawa Blues for Youth volunteer Maddy Eisenberg participated in a discussion on youth suicide prevention at Ottawa Blues for Youth, held Saturday, September 20, 2025. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

From left, Sandy McDonald, regional director of community affairs at Bell Canada, Ottawa Blues for Youth founder Anita Manley and event emcee Katherine Dine, radio host on Move 100, at Ottawa Blues for Youth, held at the Gladstone Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

The audience heard how singer-songwriter Alanna J. Brown first met Manley last winter, after Manley slipped on ice and fell along a residential street in the Glebe. She was unable to get back up on her feet.

Because Brown was the first on scene, she called an ambulance and waited with the injured woman outside in the cold until help arrived. Unfortunately, many ice-induced falls had occurred that morning, so emergency crews were backed up. “I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was going to be over an hour,” said Brown. “I just stayed with her and chatted with her and told her, ‘They’re on their way, they’re on their way’.”

One of the first things that had popped out of Manley’s mouth during that incident was her involvement with Ottawa Blues for Youth, recalled Brown, who responded by sharing that she was a professional musician. Originally from Toronto, Brown worked in Banff for 10 years before moving to Ottawa with her young family in 2023.

Later, Manley would ask Brown to play in her youth mental health benefit concert. The artist agreed, even though she’s now weeks away from delivering her third child. “It’s not happening tonight,” she told the crowd with a smile.

Brown also donated to the silent auction a 90-minute house concert. Among the other items that guests could bid on were paintings, Ottawa Senators swag and game tickets, a tasting menu at Coconut Lagoon, a night at The Wakefield Inn, and a Les Paul tribute guitar signed by JW Jones and donated by Long & McQuade.

Musician Alanna J. Brown, who lost a friend to suicide when she was younger, was one of the headliners at the Ottawa Blues for Youth benefit concert. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

From left, Dr. Zach Kaminsky, DIFD-Mach-Gaensslen Chair in Suicide Prevention Research at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, and Chris Ide, president of The Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health, at Ottawa Blues for Youth. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

JW Jones performed on stage while members of the audience took to the dance floor at Ottawa Blues for Youth, held at The Gladstone Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. Photo by Erica Giustiniani.

JW Jones on stage during Ottawa Blues for Youth in support of suicide prevention. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

From left, Dr. Zach Kaminsky, DIFD-Mach-Gaensslen Chair in Suicide Prevention Research at The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research, emcee Katherine Dines, Ottawa Blues for Youth founder Anita Manley, Ottawa MP Yasir Naqvi and Ottawa Blues for Youth volunteer Maddy Eisenberg at the youth mental health benefit, held at The Gladstone Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. Photo by Caroline Phillips

Michelle Crogie, executive director of Pleo, in conversation with fellow guests during one of the breaks at the Ottawa Blues for Youth benefit  concert. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

From left, Oliver Saner, fundraiser at The Royal Ottawa Foundation, and his colleagues, Hannah Smith (community partnerships and events), and Nicola Ostrom  (strategic content manager) volunteered at Ottawa Blues for Youth, held at The Gladstone Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

City builder Steve Georgopoulos in conversation with fellow guests during one of the breaks at the Ottawa Blues for Youth benefit  concert. Photo by Erica Giustiniani

This article is made possible through sponsorship from Star Motors, WCPD, Marilyn Wilson Dream Properties, ExecHealth, Infinity Convention Centre, Altis Recruitment, Bell Canada, First Avenue Investment Counsel, RBC, Welch LLP, Brazeau Seller Law.

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