Columbus Crew SC are collaborating with Nationwide Children's Hospital in furthering the mission of "On Our Sleeves" to help transform children's mental health, the club announced in a release this week.
The "On Our Sleeves" movement is part of Nationwide Children's Hospital's efforts to address children's mental health through education, advocacy and research. Throughout the month of May, which is Mental Health Awareness Month, "On Our Sleeves" will offer free, evidence-based and educational resources designed to help kids cope and build resilience, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crew SC players and staff members will be taking part in the efforts, participating in the "Growing Our Gratitude" initiative, filling out gratitude cards to showcase things they are grateful for. The club will also auction off game-worn jerseys from its 2020 MLS regular season-opener against New York City on March 1 -- the first player jerseys to feature the Nationwide Children's Hospital logo. The proceeds from the auction will support behavioral health research and care at Nationwide Children's and "On Our Sleeves".
The Crew announced they had partnered with Nationwide and its Children’s Hospital earlier this year and were set to feature a special Nationwide Children’s jersey for all competitions, including all MLS and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches in 2020, before the season postponement.
“We are excited to announce that Columbus Crew SC will be supporting Nationwide Children’s Hospital's "On Our Sleeves" annual mental health movement,” said Crew SC Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer Steve Lyons in Tuesday's release. “As important as it is to take care of our children’s physical health, we also understand the importance of taking care of their mental well-being, especially during the current pandemic. We applaud Nationwide Children’s Hospital for their ongoing efforts to bring to light the importance of pediatric mental health and are excited to support them in this endeavor.”
Crew SC will also release exclusive content including a Q&A with a behavioral health expert from Nationwide Children’s and a mental-health fitness guide featuring assistant strength and conditioning coach Kelly Roderick, Crew SC players and an expert from Nationwide Children’s.
