Latest news with #KickingtheStigma
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Indianapolis Colts honored with 2025 ESPY Sports Humanitarian Team award for mental health work
Indianapolis Colts win 2025 Sports Humanitarian Team award for mental health work (Image via Getty) A meaningful event happened at the 2025 ESPY Awards this week. The Indianapolis Colts were not recognized for a game, a play, or a season record, they were honored for something deeper. On July 16, 2025, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, the Colts received the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award for their ongoing commitment to mental health awareness and community support. Kalen Jackson shares how the Colts made mental health a priority Indianapolis Colts co-owner Kalen Jackson spoke with NFL reporter Judy Battista shortly after the ESPYS ceremony. Jackson opened up about why the team decided to start a strong mental health initiative in the first place. She explained that, years ago, the team saw how players, staff, and fans were quietly struggling. That's when they knew they had to act. Under her leadership, the Colts created programs focused on mental wellness. These included support groups, community events, open discussions, and even in-house counselors for players and staff. The team also helped launch 'Kicking the Stigma,' a public campaign to raise awareness and fight the shame around mental health issues. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Beyond Text Generation: An AI Tool That Helps You Write Better Grammarly Install Now Undo Jackson said in her interview, 'This isn't just about football. It's about people. It's about making sure every person connected to our team, and our city, knows they're not alone.' The Colts' work goes beyond football and into the community The Colts' mental health work didn't stop inside the locker room. They reached into local schools, partnered with national mental health organizations, and used their platform to speak openly about tough topics. Their players spoke in public service videos. Coaches held community Q&A sessions. Fans even got involved through Colts-run mental health walks and donation drives. Also Read: ESPY Awards 2025 Winners List: Full List Of Winners And Top Honors Revealed This is why the 2025 Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year Award felt so earned. The ESPYS aren't just about what happens on the field, they shine a light on how sports teams can be a force for good. According to ESPN, the Colts were chosen for their 'long-term, sustained impact' and for using football as a way to create real change. At the end of the day, the Colts proved that winning can look like listening, helping, and healing and that kind of victory means everything. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Indianapolis Star
16-07-2025
- Health
- Indianapolis Star
Indianapolis Colts win ESPY Award for Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year for Kicking the Stigma
The Indianapolis Colts have been named winners of an ESPY Award for the Sports Humanitarian Team of the Year. The Colts started Kicking the Stigma in 2020, bringing awareness to mental health issues. The team and the Irsay family have committed more than $31 million to addressing these issues, according to a team release. "Instead of the story being told about us, we wanted to tell our own story in hopes of helping others who are struggling," said Kalen Jackson, Colts owner and chief brand officer. 1-on-1 talks, quizzes, headsets: How Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Kalen Jackson have prepared to run Colts She and sisters Carlie Irsay-Gordon and Casey Foyt have assumed team ownership since the death May 21 of their father, Jim Irsay.
Indianapolis Star
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
How Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt & Kalen Jackson found their new roles as Colts' owners
INDIANAPOLIS — When the Colts bus that Jim Irsay loved so much left St. Luke's United Methodist Church last week and drove down Meridian to Crown Hill Cemetery, the drive took Irsay through the heart of his city one last time. People saw the bus and honked their horns. Pulled their car to the side of the road, waved from their yards, cheered. Irsay's funeral had been private, a chance for those close to him to celebrate his legacy, but as the bus drove, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson got to see another part of his legacy. 'It was very emotional, but an extremely beautiful reminder of what he represented here,' Jackson said. 'We don't take that lightly in any way.' Irsay-Gordon, Foyt and Jackson made their first public appearance as the team's owners on Tuesday, lovingly remembering their father, projecting strength, firmly promising to continue the Colts' legacy in Indianapolis. Gently reminding that a part of Irsay's legacy is already their own. Irsay's daughters have spent decades preparing for this moment, following in their father's path of learning the entire organization from an early age, beginning their Colts careers in high school and staying the course through to this moment. 'He let us in on conversations at a very young age, and when I look back on it now, I'm kind of surprised, but he trusted us,' Jackson said. 'He knew that we understood the seriousness of this job, and the responsibility that we had, and I think we'll forever be grateful for that.' Irsay's guiding hand, and his daughters' commitment to the team, have led to a moment that has eluded a handful of other NFL teams. The deaths of Saints owner Tom Benson and Broncos owner Pat Bowlen prompted brutal battles for control of the teams, battles that had to be settled in court. Leaving a property as valuable as an NFL team to more than one heir is far from simple. But on Tuesday, Irsay-Gordon, Jackson and Foyt took the podium together, ready to share the ownership of their father's franchise. 'My dad was so proud to see each of us find our own niche in the franchise our family loves so much,' Irsay-Gordon said. Irsay-Gordon, the oldest, will serve as the principal owner and the leader of the football operations. Foyt is listed as an executive vice president, working in marketing and community relations. Jackson, who has led the team's Kicking the Stigma initiative for years, coordinates the family's community and philanthropic efforts. The three daughters gravitated to their areas of expertise naturally. A rarity, to some degree. Even among family, there is often friction over the future, over who will take over which responsibility when a parent dies. In some families, the parents try to dictate the future themselves. But that wasn't the way Irsay handled it. 'I would say that it naturally happened. … it was never like, 'This is what you're doing,'' Irsay-Gordon said. 'I mean, it was always, you should do what you love, and be yourself, and follow your heart.' Football grabs everybody's attention. From the outside world, it is the only piece of the organization that matters, the wins and losses that drive fan interest and fill Lucas Oil's seats. From owner's perspective, the football matters most. But an owner is in charge of much more than football, and that allowed Irsay's daughters to carve out their own role in this leadership team. 'He always said to us, ''That's one of the most beautiful things about sport,'' Jackson said. ''There's so many areas that you can be involved in.'' There will be times the three sisters disagree on the direction of the team, in one way or the other. The job is too big for agreement all the time. 'They always say that the relationships with your siblings are probably the most important in life,' Jackson said. 'They're the people you're with the most, the people that will most likely stay with you the longest. And we know our faults and our strengths and weaknesses probably better than most. Of course we're going to disagree, but we've also learned, again, from our dad and just from life. We're old enough to have learned how to handle those disagreements.' Irsay did not have a sibling to help bear the burden of the job, to talk about ideas, to provide checks and balances. Where their father was alone at the top, his daughters have each other. The way they've grown into different areas of the building on West 56th Street will help. 'I think it's happened pretty nicely, naturally, that we've all developed our own niches and areas that we're working and contributing to in the building,' Irsay-Gordon said. 'It's great to be able to focus on the things that you're really passionate about and have your business partners doing the other things they're passionate about.' Ultimately, though, Irsay's daughters are counting on their shared commitment to the team their family has loved for so long, that they've already spent so many hours building with him. Irsay had a horseshoe tattoo. All three of his daughters have the same tattoo. 'It was more than just a symbol of loyalty, hard work and compassion,' Foyt said. 'It was so much more – what it meant to him, and he ingrained that in all of us. It was more about, it was a family.'
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Colts reveal memorial details to honor owner Jim Irsay
A private memorial service for late Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay will be held on Monday, June 2 at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, the team announced Wednesday. The service will be closed to the public, with a public tribute to be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the Irsay family has requested donations to Kicking the Stigma, the mental health initiative founded by Irsay. The Colts have been planning multiple tributes to honor his legacy throughout the week following his passing. Jim Irsay died peacefully in his sleep on May 21 at the age of 65, the team confirmed. He is survived by his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, and Kalen Jackson. Irsay was a central figure in Colts history, having served as the team's principal owner since 1997 and playing a major role in the franchise's move to Indianapolis. He originally became the youngest general manager in NFL history in 1984 at just 25 years old. Under Irsay's ownership, the Colts reached the playoffs 16 times, won two AFC championships, and captured a Super Bowl title during the 2006 season. He was also known for his philanthropy, personal generosity, and outspoken support for mental health awareness. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Anvisa aprova solução para ajudar a reduzir gordura visceral da barriga em 7 dias! Você Mais Saudável Hoje Saiba Mais Undo Following Irsay's death, tributes poured in from across the NFL community, including heartfelt messages from former Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and many others. "Jim's dedication and passion for the Indianapolis Colts in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community, and most importantly, his love for his family were unsurpassed," the Colts said in a statement last week. To honor Irsay throughout the 2025 NFL season, the Colts will wear a commemorative patch on their jerseys. The design features a black circle bearing Irsay's initials in bold white, overlaid by his signature and the trademark smiley face he often included in autographs. The team also released a tribute video and published a detailed story about Irsay's contributions to the franchise and community on its official channels after Memorial Day weekend. Further information about the upcoming public tribute is expected to be released by the Colts in the coming weeks. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Indianapolis Star
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Late Colts owner Jim Irsay's private memorial service will be held Monday
INDIANAPOLIS — Colts owner Jim Irsay will be remembered in a private memorial service at St. Luke's United Methodist Church on Monday, the team announced on Wednesday morning. The memorial service will be closed to the public. A public tribute for Irsay, according to the team, will be announced at a later date. The Irsay family asked for donations to Kicking the Stigma, the mental health initiative founded by Irsay, instead of flowers. The Colts have been working through plans to pay tribute to Irsay throughout the week. Irsay, who has been one of the team's primary decision-makers throughout the franchise's four-plus decades in Indianapolis and served as the sole owner for 28 years, died peacefully in his sleep on May 21 at the age of 65. An outpouring of support from the city of Indianapolis, the NFL community and the rest of the world followed, and after Memorial Day weekend, the team released a video tribute to Irsay on its social media accounts, along with a story detailing his time with the Colts.
