Girls V Hockey and Boys V Basketball Organize Morgan’s Message Fundraiser

Official logo of the Morgan’s Message Organization Courtesy of Morgan’s message

By CARLY CANSECO, ALLEGRA LAI, and JADE YOO

On Saturday, Jan. 20, Big Red’s girls varsity hockey and boys varsity basketball teams took a shot at mental health in their dedication games for Morgan’s Message. Alongside the games, upper Keighley Bosshardt, an ambassador for Morgan’s Message and leader of these events, organized a bake sale. 

Coordinating the fundraiser was no easy task for Bosshardt. “I first got involved with Morgan’s Message through lacrosse teams posting about it on Instagram,” Bosshardt said. “I read what it was about, saw its impact on the teams that had Morgan’s Message on their campus, and realized I would love to have an ambassador position for this program. I applied, spoke to the coaches here at Exeter, and brought it to our campus!” 

Bosshardt described the process of introducing the Exeter community to the cause two years ago. “As a lower, I relied a lot on the upperclassmen on the lacrosse team as well as the coaching staff. Everyone was very eager to help me set up our first dedication games. We started with just boys and girls lacrosse, but we have been branching out and have now run dedication games for eight different teams! Our Exeter athletics community has been very helpful,” Bosshardt said.  

Regarding planning the winter dedication games, Bosshardt had a few helping hands from the Exeter community. “The setup process was a lot, but I had a good group helping me. There was a group of us that made all the cookies for the bake sale, while others helped with posters. Mr. Muldoon helped with the social media posts, and the coaches and captains were also a huge help.” 

One of the teams that played in a dedication game for Morgan’s Message was the girls’ varsity hockey team. Prep Kiera Dowd explained, “The turnout was great and it was really nice to see everyone support this great cause.” Dowd contributed to the event by wearing her Morgan’s Message bracelet and painting a butterfly on her hockey helmet. 

Girls’ varsity hockey team prep Erin Sears , also contributed to the event. She said the team “put green tape on their sticks” to recognize this event. Sears was happy with the event’s message, expressing that the event “contributes to the idea that you’re not alone and there’s lots of agencies you can get in touch with.”

Dowd shared a similar sentiment. “It was really eye-opening and it was a great reminder to everyone that mental health matters,” said Dowd.  

Seniors Melissa Yuan and Sally Hunter eagerly helped Bosshardt prepare for the bake sale. “I was able to contribute by baking and packaging cookies in preparation for the bake sale. I think we made over 200 cookies total the night before,” Yuan said. 

“The event turnout was great!” Hunter added. “We sold pretty much all the cookies—much more than we were anticipating.” 

Morgan’s Message isn’t the only organization that athletes and coaches wish to partner with. Varsity boys basketball coach Jay Tilton believes “Coaches for Cancer is another organization that has generated much awareness for an important cause through sports.” 

He also mentioned how he as a coach helps his athletes. “Though I’m not professionally trained to deal with mental health issues, as a staff we try every day to recognize challenges each of our players may be dealing with and strive to foster an environment where our players feel safe to be vulnerable, communicate, and seek help when needed.” Tilton continued, “It’s a daily process, not an event.”

Morgan’s Message has reached the corners of Exeter’s athletics, motivating many Exeter community members to advocate for athletes’ mental health. “These people are humans before they are athletes and we need to recognize that and treat them as such. Check in on your teammates and check in on your friends. There is no shame in seeking physical healthcare––the same should be true for mental healthcare,” said Bosshardt.

Going forward, Bosshardt restated the goal of Morgan’s Message. “Morgan’s Message aims to expand the dialogue on mental health by normalizing conversations, empowering those who suffer in silence, and supporting those who feel alone. Reaching out to get help doesn’t make you weak, and the more we stress that the fewer people will be struggling by themselves.”