Mark My Mind


Welcome to Mark My Mind, a name that carries two meanings, but only one heart.

 On the surface, it’s a simple play on words, but underneath, it holds everything. 

My husband, Mark Friesen, has always stood tall, steady, and strong. Many Canadians knew him as The Grizzly Patriot, a man whose presence filled any room, any rally, any conversation. 

Today, he faces a different kind of fight - one happening quietly inside his own mind. And so, the name of this space is both a tribute and a truth: Mark My Mind…because he is always on mine, and because his mind is what we now walk beside, day by day.


"Bear With Me"

Our slogan, “Bear With Me,” is more than a gentle request. It’s a nod to the grizzly that has long symbolized Mark's strength and now symbolizes his vulnerability and courage. 

That is why our logo features a grizzly bear lifting its own brain the same way Mark used to lift his hat to greet someone: with respect, a bit of humour, and that unmistakable Mark charm. 

It’s an image that says, “I’m still here. Walk with me.”


Mark My Mind

This website is being built with Mark, for Mark, and because of Mark. Even as he faces frontotemporal dementia, diagnosed in February 2025, he remains the heart and the leader of this journey. His voice, his story, his fight. These are what guides every choice we make here. I (his wife, Jannecke) am simply the vessel helping him carry it forward as he is not able to himself. No matter what condition his mind is in on any given day, he will be front and center. This is his space. His legacy. His community.


But Mark My Mind is not just about one man’s story. It is about all of us who are touched by dementia - patients, caregivers, families, friends, strangers who see themselves in this story, and Canadians who care about compassion, resilience, and hope. It is for anyone who wants to learn how to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s, anyone seeking understanding, anyone looking for a place to share the raw truth of this journey. Here, you are free to bring your emotions, your fear, your hope, your love, your frustration, your tears, and yes, even your laughter. The latter might be more important than you’ll ever know. 


This is a community in the making, a movement we hope will grow into something strong enough to support many, not just us. A place where caregivers can lean on each other, where patients can be seen and honoured, and where Canadians from coast to coast can walk together through the complicated, beautiful, heartbreaking reality of memory.

And while this community is proudly rooted in Canada, our hearts reach much farther. If the circle we build here can grow beyond our borders, if our message of understanding, support, and strength can weave a web that stretches across countries and oceans. What a blessing that would be. 

Dementia touches every corner of the world. If Mark My Mind can touch even a fraction of it in return, then this movement will be bigger than us… and exactly what it is meant to be.

So from our home to yours, from Mark’s heart to yours, and from one mind to another:

Welcome. Bear with us.

We’re glad you’re here.

Order To Support

The Hat That Started a Movement

“Let’s Remember.”


Before Mark My Mind was ever a website, a dream, or a community - it was a hat.

A simple ball cap that Mark made himself. Red, white and black, bold, and unmistakably him. On the front was a grizzly paw and the name so many Canadians knew him by: The Grizzly Patriot. Inside the paw, he placed the Canadian flag, because Mark has always carried this his country very close to his heart.

That hat followed him everywhere. Through rallies, conversations, long days, and longer nights. It wasn’t just something he wore—it was something he stood for.Strength. Loyalty. Love of country. And a belief in showing up for people, even when life was hard.

When dementia entered our lives, I knew one thing for certain:

I couldn’t let The Griz disappear.

Not from memory. Not from the world. Not from all of us. 

So I took the hat he created and gave it new life. I changed the color to purple, the colour of dementia and Alzheimer’s awareness. I added the purple ribbon to honour every patient, every caregiver, every family walking this road. And beneath the paw, I added the words:


Let’s Remember.


Those two words carry a world of meaning.

They mean Let’s Remember the Grizzly Patriot. The man who inspired so many.

They mean Let’s Remember to care for our minds; because prevention, awareness, and early understanding can change someone’s future.

And they mean Let’s Remember each other, because no one should face dementia alone.

The hat we are selling here is more than merchandise. It is a symbol of a promise:

A promise that we will keep Mark’s spirit alive.

A promise that we will use his story to educate and spread awareness.

A promise that we will help others who find themselves at the edge of this same frightening, confusing path.


Every hat purchased helps us keep going. The funds will help cover the cost of living for Mark and me, support the creation of this website, allow us to bring in helpers for social media, community support, and the technical side of running this movement. Your support also helps us grow something bigger; a membership platform that will allow us to create podcasts, interviews, and educational content about prevention, care, treatment options, and the emotional reality behind dementia.



Our dream is not just to sustain ourselves…

but to pay it forward.

To take the support we receive and turn it into support for someone else.

To help caregivers who feel forgotten.

To lift up patients who feel lost.

To build a network of strength that stretches far beyond our own story.



When you buy one of these hats and wear it proudly, you are not just wearing a symbol but you are also spreading a message.

You are saying, “I see this. I care about this. I stand with those fighting memory loss.”

You become part of a movement grounded in love, courage, Canadian unity, and collective remembrance.



So when you put that hat on your head, remember this:

You are helping us help others.

You are carrying Mark’s legacy forward.

And together, one hat, one mind, one heart at a time…

we are building something that remembers.


Supported by The Grizzly Patriot.