SteelMike Shootout Presented by CHC is Back on August 28
Family-friendly event celebrates the legacy of a Menlo School basketball star and school counselor with a basketball tournament that raises critical funds for adolescent mental health services at CHC.
Children’s Health Council (CHC), a Palo Alto-based nonprofit that offers mental health and learning services to children, teens and young adults, and the Michael Harris Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes mental wellness among adolescents and emerging adults, are excited to announce that the SteelMike Shootout will return to Menlo School on August 28. Registration is open now and free for spectators.
Established in 2016, the SteelMike Shootout is an annual family-oriented event that raises funds for adolescent mental health services at CHC, offers education on supporting youth mental wellness, and celebrates Michael Harris, who dedicated his life to helping others.
“50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% begins by age 24. Further, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)––offered through CHC’s Clinical Services, high school and middle school DBT skills groups and the RISE Intensive Outpatient Program for Teens––is currently the only well-established, evidence-based treatment for decreasing suicidal feelings or self-harming behaviors in adolescents,” said Ramsey Khasho, PsyD, Chief Clinical Officer at CHC. “Over the last five years, thanks to our community’s generous giving and support of the SteelMike Shootout, CHC has been able to provide over 1,500 individuals access to these life-changing mental health services. In the year ahead, we plan to redouble our commitment by continuing our support of DBT services, investing in financial assistance for families in need, hosting free community education and running best-in-class clinical training programs at CHC to address the critical shortage of mental health providers nationwide. The SteelMike Shootout is a fun-filled day in support of a wonderful, incredibly important cause.”
SteelMike Shootout Details
This year’s event will be hosted in the Johnson Family Athletic Center at Menlo School on Sunday, August 28, 2022 from 9am to 3pm. The day is free for all who would like to attend and will include activities for all ages such as:
- 3-on-3 basketball tournament open to players of all levels, ages 14 and up. Interested individuals or teams can register to play in the teen-league or adult-league: new.chconline.org/steelmike
- On-site donation drawing and a silent auction featuring items such as a San Francisco Giants baseball game experience in a luxury box, a Golden State Warriors basketball game experience in a Club Suite, a Just Add Salt culinary experience, a5-Night Stay in a private three bedroom condo in Maui, Hawaii and many more amazing prizes. All proceeds will go directly to support the Michael Harris Fund at CHC.
- Experiential resource fair: Exploring Adolescent Mental Health and Education from 1:00-3:00 pm. Everyone is invited to learn more about adolescent mental health trends and strategies with clinical experts and participate in fun and collaborative activities designed to increase awareness and remove stigma.
- Knockout competition (friendly game of free throw elimination) open to all attendees, beginning at 11:45 am.
- Basketball skills clinic hosted by local middle school AAU team Westbay Ospreys, beginning at 1:30pm.
“We are honored and thrilled to partner with the Michael Harris Foundation and Michael’s many family members and friends for this capstone event,” adds Muneerah Merchant, CHC’s Chief of Advancement and Partnerships. “It is a natural evolution from former CHC fundraisers like Summer Symphony and Rocktoberfest, bringing all ages together in a fun, interactive and educational way to raise awareness and funds to make CHC’s clinical services available to families from diverse backgrounds regardless of language, location or ability to pay. We are beyond grateful to Michael’s alma mater, Menlo School, for their commitment to adolescent mental health and for contributing their state-of-the-art athletic facilities to create an unparalleled competitive and community building atmosphere!”
Visit https://new.chconline.org/steelmike/ to attend and learn more.
About the Michael Harris Fund at CHC
Michael Harris was passionate about helping everyone around him, leading him to a career in adolescent psychology at Menlo School. To celebrate Michael’s life and growing legacy, the Michael Harris Foundation was founded in 2016 with a mission of lifting others up by promoting mental wellness among adolescents and emerging adults. Soon after, the Michael Harris Foundation and Children’s Health Council partnered to launch the Michael Harris Fund at CHC in response to the growing need for support for teens with signs of anxiety, depression and/or suicidal ideation. The mission of the Michael Harris Fund at CHC is to increase awareness of adolescent mental health, connect those in need to expert help, remove stigma and ultimately reduce teen depression and suicide in our local community. Through the Foundation, the Michael Harris Fund at CHC has raised over $440,000 and served over 300 clients each year. Learn more via the Michael Harris Fund at CHC Impact Report.
About CHC
Children’s Health Council (CHC) is a local non-profit agency that has been providing comprehensive and integrated services for learning differences and mental health for nearly 70 years. We envision a world where every child, teen and young adult can reach their full promise and potential, regardless of language, location or ability to pay. Our program areas of excellence include ADHD, Learning Differences, Anxiety & Depression and Autism delivered through our two specialized schools, expert clinical services, robust parent education offerings, school and community partnerships and free online resources. Our goal is to remove barriers to learning and mental health, helping children, teens and young adults become resilient, happy and successful at home, at school and in life. No matter how big or how small your concern, contact us. We’ll get through it, together, and come out stronger on the other side. At CHC, we’re here for you. En CHC, estamos aquí para ti.
Media Contact: Liza Bennigson | (415) 377–1494 | lbennigson@chconline.org
