The Canadian Mental Health Assocation's Moose Jaw branch is marking Mental Health week with music and a ball.

A drumming for health event will take place at the mental health association's Riverview Collegiate Office from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursday night.

Donna Bowyer, with the association, explains the purpose of the drumming.

“Drumming really, it helps resilience,” said Bowyer. “It gives you an opportunity to forget about tomorrow and forget about yesterday and just focus on being in sync and having that sense of belonging within that drumming circle.

There will also be a masquerade ball fundraiser Saturday night at the Heritage Inn.

Special guest for the event is Joanne Crofford, a former MLA from Regina who is the founder of the Cathedral Village Drum circle. That will take place at a drumming for health event from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Canadian Mental Health Association’s office at Riverview Collegiate.

Bowyer talked about the record amount of mental health funding announced in this year's provincial budget.

“We’re certainly not where we need to be,” she said. “The Mental Health Commission of Canada said we should be putting at least nine per cent of our health budget into mental health. We were at five, and Then I think we’re at six now, so we still have a ways to go to get up to nine. Seven is really the national average.”

When it comes to the services they provide, instead of having the board sitting around to make decisions, Bowyer said they wanted to ask the community what they wanted to see this year, and figure out where the gaps are.

A survey has been created, and Bowyer said it will be quick to fill out.

“You’ll be able to access it through our Facebook page,” Bowyer said. “I’ve sent out emails to 200 of my closest friends here in Moose Jaw, so that survey will be almost anywhere.”

She said the survey would take about two to three minutes to complete and there are paper copies available.