BATON ROUGE – Former LSU football standout and ESPN celebrity Ryan Clark and rising country music singer John Foster will headline the third “Planting Seeds of Hope” event, an inspirational program on the power of hope and normalizing the conversations around mental health. The event takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the Maravich Assembly Center on the LSU campus.
Presented by the Rain Will Bring Flowers Foundation, The Joe Burrow Foundation, The L Club, and FMOL Health/Our Lady of the Lake, “Planting Seeds of Hope” is a free event open to the public beginning at 5 p.m. The main event, hosted by Clark, begins at 6 p.m. and runs until 7:30 p.m.
To learn more about the event and to RSVP, click here.
Foster, a finalist on American Idol and a native of Addis, La., will lead off the event and will perform again at the conclusion.
In addition to Clark and Foster, retired Army Sergeant Rick Yarosh will serve as the keynote speaker. Yarosh received the Purple Heart in honor of his courage and injuries following an IED explosion while on patrol in the Abu Ghraib region of Iraq in September of 2006.
Now retired from the Army, Yarosh travels the country giving inspirational talks with a message of hope and overcoming adversity with a positive attitude. To date, over a million people have heard Yarosh’s message.
A tabling event will occur on the concourse of the Maravich Center beginning at 5 p.m. and running until the start of the main event at 6 p.m. Over 30 campus, community and national mental health resources will be available to assist in providing real-time access to local resources and support and foster connections to those working in the mental health space.
The main event begins at 6 p.m. with Clark serving as the moderator for a panel that includes former LSU football standout and current Kansas City Chief Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Dr. Ray Tucker (LSU Associate Professor of Psychology; Clinical Assistant Professor LSUHSC/OLOL & Director of the National Suicide Training Center (NSTC); and Sherrard Crespo (LCSW & VP of External Affairs at VIA LINK, a 988 contact center for Louisiana).
“Our event continues to grow and we are excited to hear the inspirational message from retired Army Sergeant Rick Yarosh,” LSU Senior Associate Athletic Director for Health and Wellness Shelly Mullenix said. “His story and what he’s overcome due to the injuries he suffered while in Iraq nearly 20 years ago will inspire us all.
“This event is one of hope and understanding that it’s okay to ask for help if you are struggling. The struggles of mental health are shared by many in our region and our goal is to have this event bring awareness, continue to break down those perceived barriers of mental health, and make connections that help us heal.”
Mullenix said an event such as this allows collaboration with campus and community partners in an effort to expand conversations, resources and support for mental health initiatives.
The first 2,500 attendees to arrive on Tuesday, Feb. 24 will receive to-go meals from Raising Cane’s – courtesy of the Joe Burrow Foundation – and Jason’s Deli, who is donating its meals. Coke will provide the drinks for the event and t-shirts will be given to the first 2,000 attendees.
About Rain Will Bring Flowers Foundation
Rain Will Bring Flowers is committed to reducing the incidence of anxiety and depression in young adults by finding creative ways to celebrate life and inspire hope. With suicide now Louisiana’s second leading cause of death among adolescents, we need to change the game in how we address mental wellness and protect our community and families. More information for Rain Will Bring Flowers can be found at www.rainwillbringflowers.org, on their their Rain Will Bring Flowers Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/rainwillbringflowers/ and on Instagram at rain_will_bring_flowers.
About FMOL Health/Our Lady of the Lake
FMOL Health/Our Lady of the Lake is a not-for-profit Catholic healthcare ministry based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that has been committed to serving the Capital Region and building a healthy community through excellence in patient care and education for 100 years. With more than 7,500 employees, a 900-bed Regional Medical Center, a dedicated 99-bed Children’s Hospital, a 78-bed hospital in Gonzales, Louisiana, two freestanding emergency rooms in outlying parishes, and a 650+ provider Physician Group, Our Lady of the Lake Health provides comprehensive healthcare services for common to complex conditions. Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is a primary teaching site for graduate medical education programs in partnership with LSU and is recognized in the areas of heart and vascular, trauma and emergency care, stroke, cancer care, minimally invasive procedures, and more. Our Lady of the Lake is part of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System and is driven by its mission to serve all God’s people.
About Joe Burrow Foundation
The Joe Burrow Foundation (JBF) empowers families across Ohio and Louisiana by providing resources and support to the underprivileged and underserved. Since our launch in October 2022, we’ve delivered meals, nutrition programs, and mental wellness initiatives to communities where help is needed most, working to overcome food insecurity and childhood mental health challenges. We believe everyone has a responsibility to do good, and we see that responsibility fulfilled every day through our work that transform lives. To learn more about the Joe Burrow Foundation or to donate, visit www.joeburrow.org. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.