40 Hours of 40K for HeadsUpGuys
Supporting HeadsUpGuys and male suicide prevention by bringing together military members, fans, hobbyists and competitive players for 40 hours of Warhammer 40K.
Project Description
This event brings together military members, fans, hobbyists and competitive players to spend 40 hours playing Warhammer 40,000 (tabletop game with an avid fanbase across the world) & raising awareness to the bleak reality that men don’t talk about the hard stuff enough and often end their lives instead of seeking help.
The event itself will have players battle it out on tabletop for 40 hours, using various armies of the Games workshop’s franchise Warhammer 40K.
Challenges and Impact of Your Support
In Canada, men account for 3 out of 4 suicide deaths, with suicide being the 2nd leading cause of death for men under the age of 50. This amounts to approximately 3,000 deaths per year, or roughly eight men dying per day, with untreated depression being the leading risk factor for suicide
Yet, we know with the right supports and treatments in place, suicide is preventable. We need to help men learn the symptoms of depression and remove barriers that prevent them from reaching out to friends, family, and mental health professionals.
HeadsUpGuys is here to support men in their recovery from depression, reduce their risk of suicide, and inspire them to live healthier lives.
About the Event
This event is organized by JP Lacasse, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran with 23 years of service. He is also the owner of Garviel Studio.
JP picked up the hobby of painting models for Warhammer 40K back in 2019, when he retired from the the military, mostly to have a creative outlet and cope with mental health issues related to his service. It’s been a fantastic journey for him thus far!
After being involved as an artist with the 40 hours of 40K – UK event for the past 2 years, JP traveled to Lincoln, UK, in September 2022 to meet with the team and present his idea of expansion. His idea was well received and 40 hours of 40K – Canada was born!
For this event artists from all over Canada and the United States will come together to paint a 2000 point army of Warhammer 40K models.
Artists are usually assigned a model set or two depending on their availability. Artists have roughly 6 months to complete their assigned models and send them back to Edmonton, where the event will be hosted. Garviel Studio and Industrial Park Games will be hosting the event in September 2023. 18 artists are already now painting miniatures for the event.