Sunday's third annual Ride Don't Hide is about making mental illness visible and stopping the stigma around speaking out.
"It speaks to the idea of getting in motion, it speaks to getting outside, sort of honours that aspect of not hiding," said Maureen Davis, executive director of the Canadian Mental Health Association's Prince George branch.
"There's unfortunately way too many people dealing with mental illness who end up just behind walls whether it's at home or in institutions or in hospitals."
The community-based fundraiser is a cross-country initiative and cyclists can choose three different distances, which all kick off from CN Centre early Sunday morning.
The event emerged out of a Vancouver teacher's global journey in 2010 by bicycle to raise awareness for mental health.
Michael Schratter crossed six continents, 33 countries and covered 40,000 kilometres to relay that message.
Davis said Canada doesn't treat the mind the same way it addresses the body.
"We're such a long way off, even getting an equal share of the percentage of dollars that gets targeted towards health initiatives and treatment of illness."
When she goes in elementary schools, for example, kids understand ways to keep active and eat healthy.
But when she asks them how to keep mentally well, they're at a loss for words.
"They don't even have language," she said.
Workplaces are doing a better job of addressing employee depression and anxiety, but more needs to be done, Davis added.
"We're moving there but more attention, more dollars and of course reduction of stigma and people accepting and understanding it's not just those that are most visible to us (is needed)," Davis said.
People also seem to have an image of what a mentally-ill person looks like, which can be far off from the reality, she said.
"The person right beside you can be struggling with mental illness and it's totally hidden from us."
Last year the event brought in 66 riders and Davis is hoping for the same numbers despite a busy day with Aboriginal Day and the Show and Shine at Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park, formerly Fort George Park.
Registration for Ride Don't Hide begins at CN Centre at 9 a.m. with speeches soon after and the 5km, 10km and 20km routes to start around 10 a.m.
