Hunter Sleeper '17 - from shortstop to long ride for better mental health
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (October 16, 2020) -- On a Friday afternoon in Florida, former Salve Regina University baseball shortstop Hunter Sleeper '17 turned a pandemic hobby into a cross-country bike trip with a purpose, along with two friends - Mike English (Pace University) and fellow Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) alum Luke Tremblay (Gordon College men's lacrosse).
The trio started in Jacksonville, Fla., and aim to finish in San Francisco, Calif., after roughly two months and around 3,200 miles. All they will have are a few bags on the sides of their bikes, tents, and sleeping bags.
Each will raise money for mental health awareness and suicide prevention through various foundations.
"After all the ups and downs 2020 has brought, I wanted to end this year by doing something positive for not only myself, but my community and those who are affected by mental health and substance abuse disorders," says Sleeper, a native of Arlington, Massachusetts.
Sleeper will be raising money (and awareness) for National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts (NAMI - @namicommunicate on Instagram).
Hunter's Seahawk head coach, Eric Cirella '05, shares this insight on his former captain: "As a coach, we always have season and career goals for teams and players, as well as lifetime goals that focus more on our baseball alumni being happy and healthy while being a positive impact on society. And even though Hunter was a huge part of two CCC championship teams, I'm honestly so much more proud of the person he has become, and what he is currently doing with his life. He's come such a long way with his growth as a person, and his journey is something I'll share with every team I coach going forward."
Click here for Hunter Sleeper's GoFundMe.com page to support his efforts for mental health.
From Hunter's Instagram (@sleeep_9) post on Friday, October 16 --
I'm sure some of you have already heard, but today I am taking off on a cross country journey with two of my best friends, Luke Tremblay and Mike English. We will be biking from Jacksonville, Florida to San Francisco, California within the next couple of months. After all the ups and downs 2020 has brought, I wanted to end this year by doing something positive for not only myself, but my community and those who are affected by mental health and substance abuse disorders.
I have decided to commit myself to this journey in the hopes to raise awareness about this cause, which I am very passionate about. I have been personally affected by mental health issues within my family, which has then resulted in substance abuse disorder.
I have seen first hand how much these issues can affect people as well as their families and friends. Millions of families are affected by this every single day. I think it is so important (particularly amongst young people) to raise awareness about mental health and fight to end the stigma attached with it.
I will be raising money for @namicommunicate, which is a national nonprofit organization that offers support and resources for hundreds of thousands of families throughout the United States.
NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives. Raising funds for this organization will help support much needed programs for clients and their families regardless of their financial situation.
One of my primary goals for this fundraiser is to ensure that everyone reading this, whether it be yourself, a family member, or a friend, has the resources they need. And if anyone ever needs someone to talk to or any suggestions, please reach out!
So please join us in our fight against the stigma surrounded by these issues. Donate if you're able, follow along with our journey, and spread awareness!
My link to my GoFundMe is in my bio, and please check out @luketrem's bio to donate to his organization of choice, @jedfoundation. I know finances might be a struggle for people during this time, so no pressure. Anything will help! Together we can make a difference!