Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is no stranger to mental health. As traumatic as it was when his mother Peggy Prescott succumbed to cancer in 2013, the suicide of his 31-year-old older brother Jace Prescott in April 2020, compounded with the pandemic, sent him into a private state of anxiety and depression. Making it all the worse was Dak’s celeb status as the leader of the Cowboys, where his only challenge was on the football field. But inside the youngest of the three Prescott brothers, there was a caldron bubbling about the challenge within.
In a September 2020 interview with Emmy-Award winning Graham Bensinger, Dak revealed how he was dealing with the his own mental health and hoping to help others — “I think that it is important to be vulnerable. That goes a long way when you are a leader and your voice is being heard by so many and you can inspire.”
To provide that inspiration and create awareness of mental health, he has taken up the mantle of advocacy in mental health well-being — “I think it’s huge to talk. I think it’s huge to get help. And it saves lives.”
And he has done more than talk. In addition to launching the Ask 4 Help campaign in last September’s National Suicide Prevention Month, his Faith Fight Finish Foundation created a limited-edition collection of t-shirts with Jace’s “JMP” initials on the sleeve, with 100% of the proceeds supporting the Foundation’s efforts to prioritize mental health and stop the epidemic of youth suicide.
If you thought about buying one of these shirts, the perfect time to wear it would be on Tuesday, May 10, at Metrocare’s 2022 Meal for the Minds, when Dak will be the keynote speaker in the Anatole’s Grand Ballroom. Traditionally held in the fall, the decision was made to move the fundraiser for North Texas’ largest provider of mental health services to May as a part of Mental Health Awareness Month.
According to Metrocare CEO Dr. John Burrus, “With mental health numbers at an all-time high, Dak Prescott is the exact type of authentic leader Dallas and this nation need as we work to break down the stigma of mental illness. Together with bold voices, we can ensure Dallas is marked as a city where people seek help, where mental health holds no shame, and where healing happens every day.”
Sponsorship information and tickets are available here. It should be a quick sell-out, so get your reservation(s) and shirt(s) now.