Utah State Athletics Establishes Mental Health And Wellness Fund In Cason Anderson’s Name
Sep 22, 2022, 9:34 AM | Updated: Oct 4, 2022, 1:39 pm
Head coach Blake Anderson of the Utah State Aggies looks on during the first half of his team's game against the New Mexico Lobos at University Stadium on November 26, 2021 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
LOGAN, Utah – Utah State Athletics announced that they have established the Robert Cason Mental Health and Wellness Fund in honor of Blake Anderson’s son.
The Mental Health and Wellness Fund will provide enhancements to the athletics department’s mental health and wellness resources. It will provide increased mental health and wellness counseling services, educational opportunities, training, and programming for student-athletes, coaches, and support staff.
Utah State’s mental health and wellness program with the Robert Cason Anderson Fund will increase awareness and help tackle the stigma surrounding mental health challenges, all while offering more support to all USU student-athletes.
Cason tragically passed away on February 28, 2022, at the age of 21. He graduated from Jonesboro High School in Arkansas in 2020 while his father was the head coach of Arkansas State. In 2021, Cason moved to Pflugerville, Texas to be near his family and work for his uncle at Techline Pipe.
For more information on the fund, or to donate, click here.
Utah State Athletics Establishes Cason Anderson Mental Health and Wellness Fund.
LEARN MORE ➡️ https://t.co/P9vfdBmoef pic.twitter.com/Q4dR7it1XH
— Utah State Athletics (@USUAthletics) September 21, 2022
The Utah State football team is dedicating their Week 4 game against UNLV to raising awareness for mental health.
During the 6:47 video posted to Utah State football’s social media accounts, the head coach shared details about his personal life, difficult challenges his family has faced, and stressed the importance of mental health.
“We have had a lot of good conversations about this something that we all feel very strongly about,” he began his comments. “We’d love for you to join with us and support this cause and hopefully help those in need.”
#MentalHealthMatters@chbanderson 's Story 💚 pic.twitter.com/CpIJHMyF1S
— USU Football (@USUFootball) September 19, 2022
Anderson highlighted that he “grew up in an era at a time where as a man, you didn’t show that you were hurting you. You didn’t show that you had pain or you didn’t cry you.”
Utah State’s game against UNLV is at home on Saturday, September 24 at 5 p.m. (MDT). The game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and KSL Sports Zone.
If you or someone you know is struggling or needs support, it is always available with SafeUT, a crisis chat and tip line. 833-372-3388
