HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Footballs teams representing Holland Public Schools and Zeeland Public Schools are making a fashion statement with a purpose.
A very N.I.C.E. purpose.
The Holland High School Varsity Football will be wearing special black uniforms with bright green “be nice.” letters on the back with “notice, invite, challenge and empower” on the jersey sleeves.
More than 150 HHS band members will be wearing black “be nice.” hoodies as Holland High takes on East Kentwood a 7 p.m. today, Friday October 5, 2018 at the Holland Stadium.
At 7 p.m next Friday, Oct. 12, 2018, at Zeeland Stadium, Zeeland East and Zeeland West rivalry will feature football players sporting green and pink socks — the “be nice” colors — and the 330 band members will wear “be nice” hoodie sweatshirts.
A crowd of more than 6,000 students, parents, teachers and community members is expected to attend.
Both efforts are being supported by the Wayne Elhart be nice. Memorial Fund of the Holland/Zeeland Community Foundation, which also funds the “be nice.” programming the HPS and ZPS districts.
Wayne Elhart a Holland High School, ’72 grad, died on March 27, 2015, after a long-term depression and suicide. Community members have supported the memorial fund by giving to the Holland/Zeeland Community Foundation in his honor. Jeff Elhart became an activist in mental health awareness and ending the stigma on mental illness after his brother and best friend, Wayne, died.
Jeff Elhart, is now chairman of the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan (among other regional and national board memberships) and said the campaign has raised $750,000 in Ottawa County and $1.5 million across 13 Michigan counties to spread the message of intnetional caring for others. The “be nice.” campaign is a mental health action plan for education, preventing bullying and suicides by creating a positive cultural change through simple daily actions.
Like “stop, drop, and roll” or CPR, Elhart hopes “be nice.” becomes an automatic reference to mental health education that teaches people to notice, invite, challenge, and empower themselves and others.
He envisions a day when a combination of education, treatment, and on-going support removes the stigma from mental illness, as it has removed the stigma on cancer — once so feared people said “Big C” instead of the word, and avoided people with cancer diagnoses — and replaces it with commonly used treatment-driven options and open conversation.
Having high school football teams and bands promoting “be nice.” is just one way of doing that, he said.
Learn more about “be nice.” at benice.org
If you need support, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255).
