The Bolles School Goes Lime Green for Mental Health Awareness
The Bolles School welcomed the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Jacksonville to the Upper School San Jose Campus February 1-2 to help bring mental health awareness to the “lime light.”
In partnership with the Hayden Hurst Family Foundation and NAMI South Carolina, NAMI Jax's "Go Lime Green: Mental Health Matters" is a movement designed to engage entire school communities on multiple fronts to incorporate mental health education and student-led positive strategies and activities. Bolles is the first school to pilot this program locally.
Bolles alums Catherine Randle Hurst ’77 and Deshawn Ruffin ’14 spoke to upper school students about the Go Lime Green movement at a convocation February 1 in Davis Gym, sharing deeply personal and powerful stories about mental health. Hurst shared more about her son and current Carolina Panthers tight end Hayden Hurst ’12, his mental health struggles and why he founded the Hayden Hurst Family Foundation.
NAMI Jax representatives talked to the Bulldogs about the importance of speaking up if they are struggling with mental health and stopping the silence to reduce the stigma. The students then heard from a local mother who turned to counseling, psychiatrists and her friends to manage her Bipolar 1 diagnosis. She encouraged them to manage their mental health one day at a time and get help if they need it.
To close the convocation, Ruffin invited the students to get more information from NAMI Jax representatives in the Class of ’46 Alumni Conference Room and sign a banner to promote mental health awareness. He also encouraged them to wear lime green at the Winter Sports pep rally the following day as well as at the Bolles-Episcopal boys’ basketball game.
To view pictures from the Go Lime Green convocation, Winter Sports pep rally and basketball game, visit our online photo gallery.