WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY (WVU) PARTNERSHIP
OBJECTIVE
Raise awareness of childhood grief in West Virginia—the state with the highest rate of parental or sibling loss among children—and provide student-athletes a platform to honor lost loved ones while promoting community support.
INSIGHT
Fans respond to authentic, athlete-driven storytelling. Highlighting personal grief journeys inspires empathy, engagement, and action.
ACTION
• Partnered with WVU’s Country Roads Trust NIL collective to identify student-athletes who experienced personal loss and were willing to share their stories.
• Featured athletes wearing custom Children’s Grief Awareness Day footwear during women’s and men’s basketball games and a football game.
• Launched Rodney Gallagher III “Champion of Hope” campaign, highlighting his story and honoring his late mother.
• Amplified awareness through pre-game and post-game press conferences, national podcasts, national articles, and social media campaigns about the campaigns.
• Produced 100% organic social content and secured national media coverage, including ESPN, ESPN2, and the ACC Network.
RESULTS/METRICS
👀 Organic social reach: 505K+ views❤️ Engagement: 8K+ likes
💬 Comments: 179
🔁 Shares: 967
📰 National media coverage: 3 articles highlighting the Rodney Gallagher III campaign
📺 ESPN mention during Backyard Brawl
IMPACT
• Positioned Highmark Caring Place as a leading advocate for childhood grief support in West Virginia.
• Strengthened fan and community engagement through authentic athlete storytelling.
• Expanded visibility for Children’s Grief Awareness Day and the Champion of Hope initiative, reinforcing education, support, and awareness across multiple platforms.