UCalgary’s ‘Duck guy’ turns viral sensation into mental health initiative
Posted Nov 2, 2024 8:58 am.
Last Updated Nov 2, 2024 8:59 am.
A University of Calgary student who went viral for making ducks out of snow across campus last winter has just launched an official mental health initiative.
Known as “The Duck Guy”, Jason Ngu’s viral sensation of making snow ducks put smiles on students’ faces is now an official mental health initiative — part of a two-week event on campus called “UFlourish.”
“To start, I pitched them the idea of ‘Don’t forget to love the world,’ a mental health event that focuses on individual mental health, and then I just started to push it,” Ngu told CityNews.
“I’m like, ‘guys what if we made merch, and did something a little more fun and a little more interesting.'”
Official ‘UCalgary x Duck Guy’ Merch Available Now! – UFlourish Donation Initiative
byu/bbqbaconpotato inUCalgary
Since launching the merchandise on Wednesday at the university’s bookstore, items have been flying off the shelves.
For each hoodie sold, $10 will go towards the student’s greatest needs fund, designed for students who find themselves in emergency situations and need a little support.
“A lot of students struggle with mental health, especially during exam season, and so I’m glad to be able to support mental in any way I can,” said Angeline Tran, the designer of the logo.
Students say the snow ducks were a hit last winter, and with the midterm season well underway, it’s the perfect time to bring them back.
“Just to see something like little ducks everywhere, it’s just that little bit of joy in such a stressful period of time,” said one student.
While the idea behind launching the new initiative was to help students, Ngu says it’s actually helped him deal with his own personal battles.
“This can help so many people, but also, help yourself in a way. This whole duck thing, this whole movement, has always helped me in my own mental health struggles. It’s helped me realize the importance of mental health in ways that I hadn’t really considered in my own personal life,” he said.
“It really encapsulates how small actions really can make a difference.”
Ngu adds that students can expect to see snow ducks popping up around campus, as soon as the city receives snow.
