A personal connection and dedication to the support of mental health in teens is why CraftMaster Homes has been a supporter of the CKG Foundation, and the SpeakUp5K since the earliest years. 2020 marked the 6th year CraftMaster Homes sponsored the event, which has grown from a single race in Richmond, VA with a few hundred runners, to multiple races around the country and several thousand participants.
The CKG Foundation
The CKG Foundation, which serves to cultivate awareness and understanding of teenage depression and anxiety, was borne out of tragedy when Cameron Gallagher (for whom the foundation is named) passed away suddenly during a half marathon. Cameron was an advocate for teens like herself who struggled with depression and anxiety, and dreamed of creating a 5K race to help raise awareness of these issues. Since her death, her family launched the foundation and made her dream of the SpeakUp 5K a reality.
How CraftMaster Homes Helps Out
CraftMaster Homes believes strongly in the mission of the foundation, and is compelled to lend support. In addition to naming one of our best-selling homes after Cameron, the company has donated over $50,000 to the foundation to date, and is a sponsor of the annual SpeakUp 5K race.
Since the initial home was dedicated in her name, the Cameron home plan has been built over 30 times in various communities. Everyone at CraftMaster Homes is familiar with the CKG Foundation, and each time a Cameron home plan is built for a customer, her story is shared again. As a board member for the CKG Foundation and a sponsor of the SpeakUp 5K, CraftMaster has donated time and money in various ways. Over the past 6 years, CraftMaster has provided t-shirts for each of the SpeakUp 5K events, helped race set up and management, provided giveaways, and employees and management have all participated in the race. CraftMaster has also lent marketing resources to support the event and the CKG Foundation message through the use of our social media channels, emails, and blog posts.
Going Virtual
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the race in 2020 to go virtual – creating a unique marketing challenge. How can we get people to participate in the race on their own? CraftMaster Homes teamed up with CKG to show people how to create their own exciting race. We set up a series of obstacles that would typically be found on the racecourse (silly string, streamers, balloons, supportive messages) and filmed Jeff Tunstall (President of CraftMaster Homes), and Tina Moore (Warranty Manager of CraftMaster Homes) racing through them. This hilarious video encouraged people to set up their own obstacle courses and share the results on CKG’s social media pages.
Looking Ahead
As we look to the future, CraftMaster Homes will continue to promote the mission of the Cameron K. Gallagher Foundation through support, participation, and promotion. We hope you'll join us in supporting this worthwhile program.
https://www.ckgfoundation.org/
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