Sean Williams/MDN – Rawley Hector (27) of the Minot Hot Tots delivers a pitch during a game that occurred at Corbett Field earlier this season.

Mental health matters. It always has and always will. It is unfortunately something that gets overlooked and is not talked about enough, while there are people out there who are living with a mental illness every single day.

Although it may not seem like much, every conversation matters and can let someone know that they have support or that they are not alone. More often than there should be, there are people out there who are unaware of the resources available in their community. That is where conversations and raising awareness can make a big difference.

In the month of July, the Minot Hot Tots and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota’s (BCBSND) Caring Foundation are stepping up to the plate to raise money and awareness for mental health in communities throughout North Dakota.

With the Strike Out the Stigma initiative that was put together by BCBSND’s Caring Foundation, they have partnered with the Hot Tots to help make a difference in the Minot community.

During each Hot Tots home game in the month of July, the BCBSND Caring Foundation will donate $50 to The Village Family Service Center for every strikeout thrown by a Hot Tots pitcher in each game.

“With the Strike Out the Stigma initiative, we know that mental health is really important. Kids are bringing a lot of baggage to school with them and different initiatives that they are involved in, so we thought about how we can bring a fun aspect to mental health,” said Amber Blomberg of the Caring Foundation.

Blomberg added, “A lot of times it’s doom and gloom when you talk about mental health, and we want kids to know that it’s OK to not be OK and there are resources and support out there. In the summer we thought there were a lot of fun opportunities to be outside and with baseball there comes fun, so we thought what better opportunity than for us to partner with the Hot Tots to raise money, reduce the stigma, and strike out mental health.”

To make a state-wide impact, the Caring Foundation has also partnered with the Bismarck Larks of the Northwoods League and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks of the American Association of Professional Baseball, where every dollar raised will go to The Village Family Service Center to help address mental health and other behavioral health needs in each community.

“Mental health is something that we all go through and have in our daily lives. Stress, anxiety and feeling sad and helpless. The suicide rates are higher these days, so we really knew that this was an important initiative,” Blomberg said.

Blomberg added, “We really wanted to partner with an organization that also gives back to the community and to really get involved again to reduce the stigma. Around 30-40% of kids once a month feel sad and hopeless. The suicide rates among all youth in America is up, and we want them to know that it’s OK to not be OK, and we want them to reach out and get the support and help that they need and deserve.”

When presented with the opportunity to partner with BCBSND’s Caring Foundation on the Strike Out the Stigma initiative, Monica Blake and the Minot Hot Tots knew this was something that her and the team could use their platform for to help make a big difference in the Minot community.

“When they came to us with the idea and asked if we could partner on it, it was a no-brainer for us to do it. This is a subject that doesn’t get a ton of positive light shed on it, so we looked at how we can use the tools that we have to bring positive conversation to the topic of mental health. The fact that they are donating for each strikeout makes it even better,” said Blake, the general manager and managing partner of the Hot Tots.

By utilizing their platform, Corbett Field and their home games, Blake believes these continued conversations and the continued effort to raise awareness can go a long way in helping the community.

“The big thing with mental health and behavioral health is the more that we talk about it and the more that we can tell people about the different resources available, I think the better that is for the community,” Blake said.

Blake added, “Whether it’s kids who need to know that or parents of kids who have no idea that these resources are even present in Minot. The more we can help and use our platform to talk about those different things, the more I think it will benefit the community.”

In addition to every dollar raised with each strikeout, fans and community members can help the cause by donating money themselves. To find more information on the Strike Out the Stigma initiative or to donate money, you can go to www.bcbsnd.com/strikeout for more.