COUNTRY ROADS TRUST (WVU) PARTNERSHIP
West Virginia has the highest rate of childhood parental or sibling loss in the nation, with one in eight children experiencing this by age 18. To address this significant challenge, a strategic partnership was forged with the Country Roads Trust (West Virginia University's NIL Collective). This collaboration identified student-athletes who had personally experienced the death of a parent or sibling and were willing to share their stories to raise awareness.
2024 Campaign: This initiative featured three student-athletes who would be the first at WVU to wear custom game-day footwear. They wore Children's Grief Awareness Day branded shoes during a women's basketball game, a men's basketball game, and a football game—all in the week preceding Children's Grief Awareness Day. This campaign yielded a 96.8% increase in non-follower engagement across social media channels, resulting in a 2,620% increase in profile activity, a 2,581% increase in profile visits, and a 4,200% increase in external link clicks. The campaign also secured national media coverage on ESPN, ESPN2, and the ACC Network.
The student-athletes also participation in our 2024 Virtual Children's Grief Awareness Day event.
2023 Campaign: A collaboration with student-athlete Mike "Big Grizzly" Lockhart during ABC's broadcast of the Backyard Brawl (WVU vs. Pitt) facilitated the launch of our Children's Grief Awareness Day Champion initiative and secured significant national visibility.