A beacon of hope: Dak Prescott opens up in the name of mental health awareness

DALLAS (CBSNewsTEXAS) – Two football greats, including our very own Dak Prescott, will share stories of their family’s tragedies on Tuesday in the name of mental health awareness. Prescott and Solomon Thomas of the New York Jets will pay tribute to the state at the 14th annual Grant Halliburton Foundation Dinner to honor each of their brothers who committed suicide.

“Mental health is like a club you never wanted to join, but thank God there are other members, so you really have a place to share your pain,” said board chairman Polly Campbell.

The Lighthouse of Hope Community Lunch is one of the largest fundraisers for the Grant Halliburton Foundation and is expected to raise at least $350,000 for mental health education and resources.

It was founded in 2006 in memory of its namesake. Halliburton was a Dallas teenager and artist who committed suicide at the age of 19. The foundation works to help families and young people recognize the signs of mental illness.

“We need everyone to be equipped with these tools. Just start a conversation. At least be careful,” said Vanita Halliburton, mother of a teenager, co-founder and executive chairman of the Grant Halliburton Foundation.

They reached over 300,000 students, educators and parents, teaching them the signs of suicidal thoughts and how to seek help. They set up a free online mental health hotline to help callers find the right mental health resources. And they created the Coffee Days support group for mothers and the Dad2Dad group for fathers.

“We can just talk and listen a lot more so you don’t feel so alone when your child is struggling, and that helped a lot,” volunteer Alison Ray said.

They said the mission is especially gruesome now that teens and young adults are still struggling with the side effects of the pandemic. But they hope — with the help of stars like Prescott and Thomas — that the stigma around mental health is starting to break down.

“One thing we do know is that once out of the shadows into the light, stigma quickly disappears, and that’s what we’re trying to do, and what the voices of people like Duck and Solomon will help achieve,” Halliburton said. .

Thanks for reading Dallas Press News

Content and Photo credit go to Texas Standard

Read the full article on Texas Standard News