Fashion

Vancouver Hat Company Extends Popular Mental Health Campaign in Wake of COVID-19

Wirth Hats supports a good cause.

By Nathan Caddell /

Vancouverite Ben Miller started Wirth Hats in 2018 as an ode to his late friend Jakub Wirth, who took his own life four years earlier.

The two met at Copenhagen Business School and Wirth had told Miller his dream was to start a hat company. But the business is also focused on mental health—every purchase supports counselling and therapy for those who would otherwise be unable to afford it.

Of course, COVID-19 disrupted those plans, like many others. 

So instead, the company announced plans to hold a month-long campaign (“#WIRTHSTAYINGIN”) on March 30 to offer free online counselling for a month to those in need. Now, the campaign has been extended through May (and possibly longer), as Wirth has been flooded with more than 600 requests.

They’ve also partnered with American online counselling service BetterHelp, and have pledged to meet each and every request submitted through this link.

It’s a good cause, especially during a tough time. And hey, the hats aren’t half-bad either.