COLONIA, NJ – The East Coast Conference and the conference's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) are set to host its annual Mental Health Awareness Week from April 6-12. With this initiative, ECC SAAC intends to bring awareness with a week full of ECC games and events dedicated to a cause that promotes the messaging that when it comes to mental health, it's okay to ask for help.
"Mental health awareness plays a vital role in enhancing overall well-being, lessening the effects of mental illness, and fostering a more supportive and inclusive community," said ECC Commissioner Jessica Grasso. "By promoting understanding, breaking down stigma, and encouraging individuals to seek help, we empower our student-athletes to take ownership of their mental health. I am incredibly proud of our ECC student-athletes for leading initiatives that support themselves, their teammates, and the broader community."
Follow #ECCMentalHealthAwarenessWeek on Instagram, X, and Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest East Coast Conference mental health social media posts and stay tuned for updates below for what each of the ECC's nine institutional SAACs have planned for the upcoming week.
DAEMEN
President Bradyn Winters and Daemen SAAC will post social media graphics highlighting athletes with quotes, give out Mental Health Awareness shirts, bring in therapy dogs, and host a Morgan's Message women's lacrosse game on Saturday, April 11.
MERCY
President Rita-Marie Masi and Mercy SAAC will host a Morgan's Message dedication game on Wednesday, April 8 and will have an information table to help inform and spread Morgan's Message. Mercy SAAC will also create a "See A Note, Share A Note" initiative, where they will have a poster board in Mercy's athletic building with different notes written by faculty, athletes, and students. Student-athletes can take a note with them that they may need that day and share one that may help someone else! Mercy SAAC will also create a video where different student-athletes share one way they cope with mental health struggles.
MOLLOY
President Kathleen Healy and Molloy SAAC are hosting a Mental Health walk on Friday with all Molloy athletics teams. They will also provide anti-stress activities for all student-athletes to take part in throughout the week.
QUEENS
President Ava Angiuli and Queens SAAC will host an Out of the Darkness campus walk in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention on Wednesday, April 22. QC held this campus walk last year and turned out one of the foundation's largest-ever campus turnouts.
ROBERTS WESLEYAN
Presidents Jessica Montemorano and Kaeleigh Romero and Roberts Wesleyan SAAC will partner with RWU's Wellness Center, THO, and Morgan's Message and host a Mental Health Awareness table in the dining hall. Students will have an opportunity to interact with fun games, fill out a water bottle with positive affirmations and verses, and get information shared from RWU's Wellness Center. RWU SAAC will also partner with those same groups to host a table at the men's volleyball game on Saturday, April 11, with give-a-ways and t-shirt sales to raise awareness for Mental Health Awareness.
STATEN ISLAND
President Angelina Guerriero and Staten Island SAAC is committed to reinforcing the importance of mental health by actively promoting the wide range of resources available to student-athletes on campus. Through consistent outreach and communication, CSI SAAC aims to encourage athletes to take advantage of these services, including connecting with our mental performance coach to support both their athletic and personal development.