FARGO, N.D. - The Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) Caring Foundation is pleased to announce a $22,900 donation to Nexus-PATH Family Healing, a nonprofit servicing North Dakotan families and youth struggling with emotional and behavior health challenges. The funds were raised through the Strike Out the Stigma campaign, a partnership with the Bismark Larks, Minot Hot Tots, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and the Badlands Big Sticks, a new team to the Strike Out the Stigma lineup.
Strike Out the Stigma was created to help normalize and encourage conversations about mental health within North Dakota. According to the BCBSND Caring Foundation's Social Determinants of Health Study, 46% of North Dakotans, or over 355,000 people, live in areas without easy access to mental health professionals. This has had incredible consequences on young North Dakotans and their families.
“We are so thankful to BCBSND Caring Foundation and all the baseball teams for creating this amazing partnership and bringing awareness to mental health,” said Kate Coughlin, Nexus-PATH Family Healing executive director. “Nexus-PATH will use the donations to restore hope and reshape futures for children and their families struggling with complex mental health challenges who need help in meeting their needs. Strike Out the Stigma funds will allow Nexus-PATH to wrap services around these youth and families with additional tools and support like independence skills, arts and activities, specialty therapies, family programs, and welcoming spaces for supportive well-rounded programs that create a path to a brighter future.”
Over four teams and 62 games, the Bismark Larks, Minot Hot Tots, Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and Badlands Big Sticks collectively threw 458 strikeouts. At $50 a strikeout, that is $22,900 being donated to address the mental health needs of youth across the state.
"The work happening by the Caring Foundation is a catalyst for improving health outcomes for all North Dakotans," said Dan Conrad, BCBSND Caring Foundation Board Chair. "The Strike Out the Stigma campaign is no different. By raising funds for mental health awareness and resources, we are enriching the lives of children, reducing stigma and encouraging intentional conversations to help our communities stay healthy and safe.”
By championing these partnerships, the BCBSND Caring Foundation is actively addressing the critical issues of youth mental health challenges and limited access to services. The foundation is dedicated to fostering a healthier, more resilient future for the youth of North Dakota.
For more information about the BCBSND Caring Foundation and its ongoing initiatives, please visit ndcaring.org.
About Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND) Caring Foundation
Established in 1989, the BCBSND Caring Foundation (www.BCBSND.com/caring-foundation) is a private 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Through giving and investing, the Caring Foundation focuses on key health issues that help improve the health and well-being of North Dakotans and their communities. Caring Foundation staff work with grantees to support nonprofit sustainability, collaborate on shared outcomes and create lasting change.
