“Particularly with the pandemic going on, mental health is really at a crisis level.” Colts owner Jim Irsay creates “Kick the Stigma” initiative to raise awareness about mental health

Amidst these unprecedented times, mental wellness and health have become of pivotal importance. And thus during the pandemic, the Indianapolis Colts Billionaire owner, Jim Irsay, started an initiative with his 3 daughters, “Kick the Stigma”, to help generate awareness about mental health disorders and expand treatment options and resources.

May was mental health awareness month, and Jim Irsay’s new initiative raised $4.5M this month to help raise mental health education. Irsay said the initiative was the brainchild of his three daughters, Carlie, Casey, and Kalen, and the family hopes that the message runs beyond just mental health Awareness month.

I am proud to host @Colts Owner @JimIrsay on @CNN @cnni tomorrow – Saturday – at 9am ET to talk mental health https://t.co/Ost1gI1n1O

— Michael Smerconish (@smerconish) March 19, 2021

Jim Irsay spoke about the purpose of the initiative.

Conversations around mental health and wellness and equitable access to treatment is the first step in helping people realize they are not alone in the struggle.

“We’re involved in so many different aspects of charitable giving. But we wanted to really focus on one and have a legacy that we could get behind,” Irsay said. “Particularly with the pandemic going on, mental health is really at a crisis level. It already was at a crisis level before we got into the COVID situation. But afterward, with the isolation, with the economic hardships, and those worried about self-preservation, it really became apparent that it was really, really needed.”

“We don’t know the fallout effect for the next five or 10 years from the pandemic,” Irsay said. “But I can assure you it has made the ground more unsettled and led to many, many other problems.”

“We know it affects every single household, every single family; every person brushes across it in life,” Irsay said of mental illness. “These illnesses, like all illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, etc., they’re all very difficult to take on and defeat. But when you add a stigma to illnesses that are life-threatening – and these are – it becomes just that more difficult.”

Indianapolis Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay is advocating for more mental health awareness.
“It’s all hands on deck after we have been through this pandemic,” he tells @smerconish. https://t.co/xKbXGczsbQ pic.twitter.com/brjrJhckcd

— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) March 20, 2021

Jim Irsay isn’t the first amongst the NFL community to have voiced the importance of Mental Health. Star players like Dak Prescott have been upfront about the importance of mental health. Thus Irsay’s initiative will do wonders for the community.

 

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