DENVER — In case you were not aware, May is the Mental Health Awareness month and Air Force grad & NFL center Ben Garland, in partnership with Children's hospital, is helping raise awareness on the issue, especially for kids in Colorado.
Currently, Colorado ranks 42nd in the nation for access to youth mental health care as suicide is the No. 1 cause of death in Colorado kids and young people, starting at age 10.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has made things even more dire for youth mental health.
On Friday, Garland along with the Broncos' Justin Simmons & Dalton Risner hosted Friday Night Lights – Shining a Light on Mental Strength campaign where teens, kids, and their families climbed the stairs “under the lights” at the Denver Broncos Stadium.
"These NFL players are excited to break the stigma and say you know what, it's OK to ask questions and it's important to ask for help," said Garland. "Me as a grown man in the NFL, I need help. Showing that to kids and showing them it takes strength and courage in order to ask for that, I think that's really important and I hope that's a major take away the kids get from this event."
For help on how to start the conversation with your teen, click here.
For more information on suicide prevention, click here.
