Seahawks and Rams supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults

NEWPORT, R.I. (February 13, 2020) - Salve Regina University baseball and the school's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.) are partnering with the University of Rhode Island Active Minds Chapter to host a fundraiser to advocate for and raise awareness for mental health, all while attempting to reduce the stigma and instill suicide-prevention measures to college students.

The fundraiser will take place on Saturday, April 4 during the Seahawks' Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) doubleheader vs. Nichols College with first pitch at noon. A pre-game ceremony at 11:50 a.m. kicks off the fundraiser.

Please join us for a day of great baseball, locally-donated raffle prizes, a 50/50 raffle, Active Minds gear, and a food truck.

T-shirts for the event will go on sale in the coming weeks - we (Salve Regina Baseball) will post information and the link to purchase on our Facebook page when the store is open so that you can support the event (100% of all proceeds raised will be donated to the URI Active Minds Chapter). The direct link to the t-shirts for the event can be clicked here.

Please see the message below from Stephen Cirella, Jr., the President of the URI Chapter of Active Minds. This fundraiser is near and dear to our Seahawk hearts as Stephen is not only the brother of Salve Regina head coach, Eric Cirella, but is also an alumni of the Seahawk baseball team. We fully support the efforts of Active Minds and hope you will join us in supporting their efforts as well by attending the doubleheader and fundraiser.

Hope this message finds all who read it well! I am Stephen Cirella Jr. and I am honored and privileged to be the President and Founder of the Active Minds chapter at the University of Rhode Island. What is Active Minds? For those who have never heard of the organization before, Active Minds was established in 2003 to advocate for and raise awareness for mental health, all while attempting to reduce the stigma and instill suicide prevention measures to college students. Alison Malmon pioneered Active Minds after the unfortunate loss of her brother by suicide while she was attending the University of Pennsylvania. She turned personal tragedy into an opportunity to help others through her mission of opening up the conversation about mental health.

Mental health and suicide are difficult topics to discuss, which is why Active Minds aims to break down that barrier and help people realize that they are never alone in what they are experiencing. Just a simple "Hey, how are you?" or "Are you okay?" can be the difference in someone's life. I speak for our organization when I say that we are excited and grateful that we at Active Minds at URI are being honored at the annual Salve Regina Baseball Fundraiser. Any and all questions pertaining to the organization, its mission, and resources, please check out activeminds.org!

Thank you all for taking the time to read this message and I hope to see you all there on Saturday April 4!

Let's all stand together #STRIKINGOUTSTIGMA

Active Minds is the nation's premier nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults

We are dedicated to saving lives and to building stronger families and communities. Through education, research, advocacy, and a focus on young adults ages 14–25, Active Minds is opening up the conversation about mental health and creating lasting change in the way mental health is talked about, cared for, and valued in the United States.

16 years of impact

Active Minds is a national leader for young adult mental health advocacy and suicide prevention. Headquartered in Washington, DC, Active Minds brings to mental health what no other organization can — the voice of young people who are disproportionately affected by mental illnesses and the way mental health is addressed on campuses and in society at large.

Now in its sixteenth year, Active Minds is at more than 800 colleges and high schools nationwide, including 550 student-led chapters. Our programs and services empower students to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, create communities of support, and ultimately save lives.

An approach that works

What has guided and distinguished us from the start is a belief that young people will be the drivers of change.