On average, anxiety and depression affect one in six of us. Most of us have been touched by mental illness in our lives one way or another, whether it’s ourselves personally or through a friend or family member. Local Canberran, Tobiko Huho is one of many whose life has been deeply impacted by mental illness. Sadly, Tobi recently lost a childhood friend to a battle with depression alongside his uncle who also took his life the same way four years earlier.

These events inspired Tobi’s urge to make a difference in the realm of mental health and so began an epic fundraising initiative called 30K Before My 30th. His goal is to raise $30,000 before his 30th birthday in January next year. Money raised will be donated to BeyondBlue for mental health and suicide prevention programs. Tess Parisotto caught up with Tobi for an update on his efforts so far.

“I launched 30Kbeforemy30th on April 15,” Tobi shares.

“It was actually really easy to begin the fundraising.”

Approaching BeyondBlue, Tobi expressed his interest in raising money for their charity who welcomed the gesture and took him on board with open arms. Since April, Tobi has been reaching out in a variety of ways to raise funds and reach his goal.

“I’m not limited to certain types of fundraising,” he says.”I can pretty much do anything and everything I can to raise money.”

A number of local businesses are also supporting Tobi and his fundraising efforts having become sponsors to the cause including Poachers Pantry, Shorty’s, Suburban, Little Brooklyn and Public just to name a few. In partnership with his sponsors, Tobi will be hosting a number of charity events including a cocktail night in November (stay tuned for details on that one!), and a variety of dinner events.

Most recently the Ainslie Football Club hosted a Trivia Night which generated just over $5,000 in donations. The next event is a charity dinner, Le Grande Bleu Diner and will be hosted by Chez Frederic on Saturday 1 November. In addition to discounted drinks and live entertainment, a super special menu will also be on offer with a collection of ‘blue-ish’ foods as a nod towards BeyondBlue. If you can’t make the dinner, don’t feel blue as they will also be available to order in the restaurant leading up to the event with 50% of profits generated from the blue menu options donated to Tobi’s cause.

One of the most important things when it comes to mental health is communication and awareness, and part of Tobi’s mission with his fundraising is to get that conversation going. Tobi believes that just having a conversation about how you’re feeling can make a huge difference in life and admits that when he’s feeling down he likes to get outdoors.

“I just walk to get my head right and take time for myself,” says Tobi.

“I have such a busy lifestyle so time alone is really important to me.”

As a complete stranger, Tobi feels comfortable in sharing and opening up about his feeling, exemplifying the point that talking about mental health doesn’t have to be so taboo nor does it have to be scary or confronting. With no shame or embarrassment Tobi highlights the importance of this one simple act.

“It’s really important for someone like me to do this [fundraising], so I can break that stigma of men always having to be strong,” Tobi says. “Things are happening so fast these days with technology constantly evolving around us; we need to learn how to communicate, and not leave [the state of] our mental health behind.”

The biggest thing to remember, according to Tobi, is that when it comes to mental illness you’re not alone, and you don’t have to suffer in silence.

The charity events Tobi is hosting not only give people the opportunity to contribute in donations but prompt us to start our own conversations about mental health, and that in itself is probably the greatest success of Tobi’s cause.

Having raised almost one third ($9,000 to be exact) of his overall goal, Tobi has three months to raise the remaining $21,000 and he’s welcoming any and all donations. So if you would like to make a donation or contribute to Tobi’s efforts buy a ticket (or two) to the Chez Frederic Charity dinner or donate directly online.

The essentials

What: Le Grande Bleu Dinner

When: 7.30pm, Saturday 1 November

Where: Chez Frederic, Braddon

How much: Tickets are $95 per person

Tickets: Phone (02) 6248 0044 to make a booking.

If you or someone you know has been affected by suicide phone the National Bereaved by Suicide Line on 1300 467 354 or visit the Support After Suicide.

If you need to speak to someone, or you’re concerned for someone close to you, these services may also be helpful: 

• Beyondblue 1300 22 4636
• Lifeline 13 11 14
• Suicide Callback Service 1300 659 467
• SANE Australia Helpline 1800 18 7263
• Headspace 1800 650 890
• MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78