LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Eastern High School gym was filled with celebrities, basketball fans, and supporters as non-profit 24 Reasons held its first inaugural event, "Be The Reason," a celebrity basketball game to fundraise for suicide prevention and mental health issues for youth and athletes.
The non-profit was founded by Trey Moses, a professional basketball player and former NCAA Inspiration Award recipient. Moses created 24 Reasons after he found his college roommate and basketball teammate died by suicide.
Trey has devoted the rest of his career to honor his friend, Zach's, legacy and even got his family's permission to wear Zach's number - 24.
"I had my own mental health struggles with depression, anxiety, suicide thoughts. And then I lost my teammate," Moses said. "For me, this is just something that's bigger than me, bigger than Zach. This is something that if we can just bring awareness and save one person that came today, for me, the jobs done and we impacted a lot more than just one."
Some of the big names invited to play included Louisville native and Los Angeles Laker D'Angelo Russell, UFC fighter Terrance McKinney, former WNBA and professional basketball player in Europe Makayla Epps, country artist JD Shelburne, Louisville men's basketball player David Johnson, basketball coach Aaron Nance, and professional boxer Timothy "Mayhem" Motten.
"We all face our own series of issues, we all had our own experiences. What we're trying to do here, with Trey's leadership, is making sure everyone can tell their story, know that they're okay to tell their story, and it's okay not to be okay," said founding member of 24 Reasons Vince Cain. "We're attempting to erase the stigma that's associated with mental health. Mental health is just health."
The game brought out people who could relate to Moses's story of loss, like Evan Lyons.
"I had a brother that died from suicide, so I decided to come and support the team," he said. "It felt like everybody knows what's going on now. It's not a hidden illness anymore."
Lyons told us he feels like most people who struggle with mental health issues don't have a support team to lean on.
"Luckily I have me a good support team who I can talk to about it," he said, as he pointed to his friends and family.
"Leaning on the people that you love, leaning on the people who love you, surrounding yourself with love," Moses said. "So many of us, when we're going through these moments, we feel like we're not loveable, we're not feeling loved, we don't have anyone...but there's a lot of people that love us out there."
If you or someone you know isa struggling with mental health, the Crisis Hotline has someone available to talk to 24/7, just call 988.
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