BC2M Ambassador & WNBA All-Star Jayne Appel-Marinelli is Bringing Mental Health Awareness

BC2M’s website

BC2M Ambassador & WNBA All-Star Jayne Appel-Marinelli is Bringing Mental Health Awareness to the San Antonio Stars V. Los Angeles Sparks Game on Thurdsay, September 1, 2016! We hope to see our BC2M friends in the area at the game! And, if you don’t live in San Antonio, please share this exciting opportunity to talk about mental health with your friends and family! BC2M’s website Click here to watch Jayne Appel-Marinelli’s video! #MindOurFuture – Jayne Appel-Marinelli (2 Minutes)

SAN ANTONIO STARS TO HOST MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS NIGHT Stars Center and Mental Health Ambassador Jayne Appel-Marinelli Will Share Her Family’s Story After Game That Focuses on Erasing the Stigma of Mental Health Issues   SAN ANTONIO (August 29, 2015) – The San Antonio Stars will help reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness when they host the Los Angeles Sparks during Mental Health Awareness Night on Thursday, September 1st, at the AT&T Center. With the help of Bring Change 2 Mind (BC2M), Stars center and mental health awareness ambassador Jayne Appel-Marinelli will tell her story throughout the night and encourage fans to join in the cause. The game will be broadcast locally on FOX Sports Southwest with Andrew Monaco (play-by-play), Dan Weiss (color commentary), and Stars General Manager Ruth Riley (color commentary) calling the action. According to Bring Change 2 Mind, one in four people will be affected by a mental illness at some point in their lives. There are effective treatments available for mental illness, but nearly two-thirds of people living with a diagnosis do not seek help from a health professional because of stigma and discrimination. Through in-game activations, Mental Health Awareness Night will normalize the conversation around mental health to save lives, reduce suffering, and ensure that people living with a mental illness are able to pursue their human potential with dignity, full civil rights, appropriate healthcare, and unbridled access to life’s opportunities. “I am so proud to have the support of the WNBA, San Antonio Stars, and BC2M while organizing our Mental Health Awareness Night coming up on September 1st,” said Appel-Marinelli. “I hope that this night helps shine a light upon an issue that is so prevalent in our society today. Mental Illness has personally affected my family and friends, and is an issue that needs to be given more attention and care. This game will not only help others to talk about mental health, but it will help lead people towards getting help with their illness, teaching how to support someone they love with an illness, and encouraging people to talk about mental health and normalize it. Together, we can all make a difference in ending the stigma around mental health.” Tickets for each game remaining in the 2016 season are available on the Stars’ website or Ticketmaster, by phone at (210) 225-TEAM, and at the AT&T Center Box Office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on weekend event days five hours prior to tipoff. The 2016 San Antonio Stars season is presented by H-E-B. About the San Antonio Stars The San Antonio Stars are one of five professional sports franchises owned and operated by Spurs Sports & Entertainment – the San Antonio Spurs (NBA), the Rampage (AHL), San Antonio FC (USL) and the Austin Spurs (NBA Development League).The 2016 season will mark the team’s 14th year in San Antonio, as the Utah Starzz relocated to the Alamo City in 2003. In operation since 1997, the WNBA – which features 12 teams – is the most successful women’s professional team sports league in the world. About Bring Change 2 Mind Bring Change 2 Mind (BC2M) is a national non-profit working to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. Because science and evidence-based action are essential to achieving this mission, BC2M’s work is grounded in the latest research, evaluated for effectiveness, and shared with confidence. The organization was co-founded in 2010 by the award-winning actress Glenn Close and her family after they experienced the stigma that surrounds mental illness. Ms. Close’s sister, Jessie, lives with bipolar disorder and her nephew, Calen Pick, lives with a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. BC2M encourages people to join them in pledging to end stigma and in sharing their stories on BC2M’s website and social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.