Baseball WA is delighted to announce Black Dog Institute as our Official Community Partner for the 2023 season.
The baseball community mourned too often this year, and Baseball WA felt a partnership with a mental health organisation was important to drive awareness, while also providing the resources, education, and platforms to promote positive mental health and support.
Research shows every year one in five people in Australia will experience symptoms of mental illness, but 60% will not seek help.
Baseball WA CEO Lachlan Dale said:
“In partnership with the Black Dog Institute, we are now confident that Baseball WA can help to assist the baseball community as they create a mentally healthy environment for everyone. The partnership is timely and the resources made available are extremely important and relevant to our clubs and members.”
Baseball WA will be launching its inaugural Mental Health Round kicking off on Friday 20 October at Empire Ballpark in Thornlie with a State League double header, and then continuing throughout the regular home and away fixtures, coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Month. Black Dog Institute will have important content promoted in our socials and newsletters as well as shorts playing on the broadcast livestream throughout the game.
All players will be invited to wear special co-branded Black Dog Institute playing socks throughout the round to raise funds for the organisation, enabling researchers, developers, and educators to continue and pioneer mental health programs.
Karen Elliff, Director of Funding and Partnerships at Black Dog Institute, said:
“We’re so pleased and thankful to Baseball WA for collaborating with us to expand awareness around the importance of mental health. Funds raised through this partnership will help ensure the continuation of our vital research and the delivery of evidence-based programs throughout the community.”
About the Black Dog Institute
The Black Dog Institute is the only medical research institute in Australia to investigate mental health across the lifespan. Their aim is to create a mentally healthier world for everyone.
They do this through ‘translational’ research. Integrating their research studies, education programs, digital tools and apps, clinical services, and public resources to discover new solutions, foster connections, and create real-world change.
Their partnerships with people with lived experience, federal, state and local governments, communities, schools, corporate Australia, philanthropists and others in the mental health sector enables them to drive evidence-informed change in mental health where it’s needed most.