UNIT3D for Hilinski’s Hope: Why this still matters

We launched this year’s UNIT3D for Hilinski’s Hope campaign on Thursday, and in the five days since, we’ve sold 200 t-shirts. That’s good! And, right now, we’d be able to cut a check to the Hilinski’s Hope Foundation for around $3,500. That’s also good!

However ... we’ve still got a ways to go to reach our goal of 800 shirts and $14,000. And we’ve only got five days to get there before we start printing.

If you haven’t yet ordered your shirt, well, this is for you!

Perhaps you just haven’t gotten around to it yet. If that’s the case, you can fix that immediately by purchasing your UNIT3D for Hilinski’s Hope shirt here! (After spending last week camping, I just bought ours.) Thanks to our apparel partner, Butte Brand, they look great — and also come in white.

Maybe you need a reminder of why we’re doing this — why, even as Tyler Hilinski’s death recedes from us, we’re still committed raising money for the foundation that bears his name. This is for you:

As WSU alumnus and NFL veteran Hamza Abdullah put it, the death of a quarterback who seemingly had everything — a four-star recruit who would have been a second-year starter this season — should serve as a wake up call and a call to action. For all of us.

The bottom line is this: There aren’t a lot of things you and I can do on a large scale when it comes to addressing mental illness among student athletes. But Hilinski’s Hope is addressing it on that scale. And one thing you and I definitely can do is buy a shirt to financially support the foundation, and then wear that shirt to let the world know that we’re in this fight together, and we aren’t going to stand idly by.

Don’t delay — get your shirt(s) now!

And always remember:

If you feel like you are suffering in silence, tell someone and don’t be afraid to seek out help. It can get better. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

James Snook-USA TODAY Sports