The Child Mind Institute and SoFi Address Youth Mental Health Crisis in the San Francisco Bay Area By Raising $545,000 at Golf Invitational

Leading into May Mental Health Awareness Month, notable athletes and celebrities turned out to support mental health access for Bay Area youth

San Francisco, CA – More than a dozen celebrities from the Bay Area sports world showed up to raise funds for youth mental health at the SoFi | Child Mind Institute Golf Invitational on April 29, 2024, at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. The athletes—including Marcus Allen, Harris Barton, Brandi Chastain, Chili Davis, Ozzie Smith, Chris Mullin, Ronnie Lott and Dave Stewart—spent a day on the links to support the Child Mind Institute’s mission to transform the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders. 

Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a prominent supporter of California youth mental health programs, led a lively discussion with Olympic silver medalist Gus Kenworthy, who is recognized as one of the best all-around park skiers of all time and a mental health advocate. 

Dr. Harold S. Koplewicz, president of the Child Mind Institute, gave opening remarks highlighting the unprecedented, critical need for equitable access to mental health care for youth. “There’s been a crisis in children’s mental health that has been going on for decades, and unfortunately it’s getting worse. Our kids are not okay,” said Dr. Koplewicz. “COVID’s only silver lining is the fact that we now talk about children’s mental health. Still, the devastation that the pandemic took on our kids’ education and their mental health is going to take quite some time to recover from.”  

“California has made an unprecedented investment in youth behavioral health,” said  Siebel Newsom. “Last month, with the Child Mind Institute, we released Positive Parenting, Thriving Kids, an evidence-based tool, to ensure every child gets supported and no parent feels alone as we tackle this crisis head-on.” 

Siebel Newsom and Kenworthy discussed the stigmas that can be associated with mental health, especially for professional athletes. “Historically, as an athlete, I feel like it’s been ‘taboo’ to talk about mental health,” said Kenworthy. “There’s an old adage that says when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and people somehow equate mental toughness and mental health as opposites.” 

“When you communicate openly about mental health, it’s such a relief,” said Kenworthy, who identifies as gay. “For me, when I was in the closet I carried such a weight on my shoulders for years. When I came out, it allowed me to perform at a different level because I was living as my true authentic self.” He also said because he spent years needing help and not asking for it, parents should have more conversations with their kids to “help them understand we are all flawed as humans, they are not alone in their struggles and fears, they can open up judgment-free, and if they need professional help, they can get it.”

The evening’s live auction included hot-ticket items such as VIP experience packages with the Los Angeles Rams and the Rolling Stones at the SoFi Stadium owner’s suite, a Chase Center basketball game suite experience courtesy of SoFi, handmade jewelry from RUCHI New York, and golf packages at the Nanea Golf Club in Hawaii and the Olympic Club in San Francisco.  

SoFi was the event’s title sponsor. Additional sponsors included Macy’s, TPG,  Qualia, Clear Golf, Drops of Dough, EBoost, RUCHI New York, Fore All, Moretz Marketing and Supergoop. Tracy Toyota was the hole-in-one sponsor. 

“Children’s mental health shouldn’t be a luxury, but for far too long financial barriers, social stigma, and information access have kept families from getting the help they deserve,” said SoFi CEO, Anthony Noto. “SoFi is proud to partner with the Child Mind Institute as part of our efforts to empower families with education and resources that foster a brighter future.”

The SoFi | Child Mind Institute Golf Invitational event committee included Jane Burgess, Stacy Denman, Jake Leschly, Ronnie Lott, Kristin Noto, and Linnea Roberts.

About the Child Mind Institute 

The Child Mind Institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need. We’ve become the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health by providing gold-standard evidence-based care, delivering educational resources to millions of families each year, training educators in underserved communities, and developing tomorrow’s breakthrough treatments. Our clinical centers are located in New York, NY and San Mateo, CA. 

About SoFi 

SoFi (NASDAQ: SOFI) is a member-centric, one-stop shop for digital financial services on a mission to help people achieve financial independence to realize their ambitions. The company’s full suite of financial products and services helps its more than 8.1 million SoFi members borrow, save, spend, invest, and protect their money better by giving them fast access to the tools they need to get their money right, all in one app. SoFi also equips members with the resources they need to get ahead – like career advisors, Credentialed Financial Planners), exclusive experiences and events, and a thriving community – on their path to financial independence.

SoFi innovates across three business segments: Lending, Financial Services – which includes SoFi Checking and Savings, SoFi Invest, SoFi Credit Card, SoFi Protect, and SoFi Insights – and Technology Platform, which offers the only end-to-end vertically integrated financial technology stack. SoFi Bank, N.A., an affiliate of SoFi, is a nationally chartered bank, regulated by the OCC and FDIC and SoFi is a bank holding company regulated by the Federal Reserve. The company is also the naming rights partner of SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams. For more information, visit SoFi.com or download our iOS and Android apps.