CareSource Wraps College Invitationals and Pledges More Than $250,000 to Youth Mental Health

Community-focused tournament finish sends money and attention to young people’s wellbeing

CareSource has closed its 2025 college basketball Invitationals and said it will donate more than $250,000 to groups that help young people with mental health. The move pairs game-day activity with outreach, so communities that hosted the tournaments will get money and new programming aimed at keeping students and young athletes safe and supported. Organizers say the funds are meant to do two things: pay for hands-on services and keep the conversation about mental health going in places where stigma still shuts people down.

How the donations will be used: grants, campus support and local groups

CareSource plans to split the total across several kinds of recipients. A portion will go as direct grants to local nonprofits that provide counseling, crisis services and youth-focused programs. Another share will fund college and university counseling centers or boost their budget for short-term help, walk-in clinics and student outreach. The company is also committing money for awareness work — posters, training for coaches and staff, and events that encourage students to speak up early if they are struggling.

Rather than a single large award, the money is being spread to reach a number of partner organizations and campuses connected to the Invitationals. That means smaller community groups that normally get little attention can receive operational support, while campus mental-health services gain capacity to respond to spikes in demand during the school year or athletic season.

Invitationals as a platform: pushing the message beyond the arena

The Invitationals are a series of college basketball events where teams travel to campus sites for short tournaments. CareSource used the events to amplify a simple message: it’s okay to ask for help. That message appeared on signage, in public-service announcements shown during breaks, and in halftime segments where players and coaches spoke about wellbeing and the pressure to perform.

Organizers say using sports as a backdrop reaches students who might not otherwise see mental-health campaigns. Athletes, fans and campus staff sharing short, personal messages can make asking for help feel more normal — and that was a main goal of the campaign tied to this year’s Invitationals.

Voices from courtside: why players and coaches welcomed the effort

Coaches at several host schools praised the initiative for opening up conversations with their teams. One coach said mental health is as important as strength and conditioning, and that players are better prepared if they get help early. Players noted that hearing teammates and rivals speak honestly on a public stage made it easier to talk about stress and anxiety.

Local organizers and nonprofit leaders described the funding as practical and timely. They emphasized that awareness is only useful when there are services behind it, and that the grants will help turn talk into action by expanding counseling hours and training more staff to recognize warning signs.

What the money can realistically do for young people

More than $250,000 is meaningful for local programs and campus centers that often operate on tight budgets. It can pay for extra counseling sessions, brief therapy programs, or training for coaches and residence-life staff to spot and respond to crises. At the same time, the amount is modest compared with the overall demand for youth mental-health care, which has grown sharply in recent years.

Still, the practical value lies in targeted use: short-term help that prevents problems from getting worse, plus visibility that lowers the social cost of asking for help. For small nonprofits, a grant tied to a public campaign can also help them attract future funding and volunteers.

CareSource’s role and what comes next

CareSource is a health-care organization that works in Medicaid and other public programs. The Invitationals tie a public brand to local giving and awareness, and the company says it plans to track how partner groups use the grants and share outcomes next year. Organizers hinted that future tournaments will continue to weave mental-health outreach into game programming, aiming to keep pressure off young people and to build longer-term local capacity.

Sources

• prnewswire.com