Raiders’ Solomon Thomas talks mental health at city event

Less than 24 hours removed from an affectional opening-night victory, Raiders antiaircraft tackle Solomon Thomas asked a radical of teenagers to rise their hands if they felt similar they knew a batch astir intelligence health.

The bulk did.

“That’s mode much than I knew increasing up, and that’s 1 of the reasons I’m speaking now,” helium said. “When I was increasing up, erstwhile I was a kid, erstwhile I was going done things, each these feelings, I didn’t cognize however to speech astir them. And I privation to marque definite that you each cognize however to speech astir them.”

Thomas spoke to the students — members of the Batteries Included program, an inaugural created to guarantee teenagers person capable resources to thrive and hole for assemblage — during a Tuesday lawsuit organized by the metropolis of Las Vegas astatine City Hall.

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians presented $10,000 checks to each of the organizations contiguous astatine the event: The Mayor’s Fund for the City of Las Vegas, The Defensive Line Foundation, Born This Way Foundation and Hope Means Nevada.

“It is bully to consciousness good,” Mayor Carolyn Goodman said. “And it starts with each of america conscionable accepting the resources that are disposable and knowing that we genuinely care. Your metropolis loves you and wants to spot that everybody feels bully astir themselves.”

Thomas aboriginal sat down for a treatment with Dr. Sheldon Jacobs, a scientist and committee subordinate of Hope Means Nevada. Jacobs and Thomas discussed the value of having these types of conversations astir intelligence health, particularly for children.

“There is simply a stigma arsenic it pertains to intelligence health,” Jacobs said afterwards. “A batch of radical don’t privation to travel retired and speech astir intelligence health. They’re acrophobic they’re going to beryllium shamed for it, due to the fact that intelligence wellness is inactive not, from the societal perspective, it’s not truly acceptable.”

Later, the duo answered questions from the children successful attendance and helped facilitate an enactment wherever the students wrote letters to anonymous peers. The message? It’s good not to beryllium okay.

Thomas founded The Defensive Line Foundation aft his older sister, Ella, died by termination successful 2018. The instauration aims to beforehand partnerships and summation acquisition astir intelligence wellness and termination prevention.

On Tuesday, helium spoke astir his ain struggles with anxiousness and depression, encouraging the assemblage members to question assistance if they request it and beryllium honorable astir their feelings.

“Going done the pandemic past year, there’s conscionable truthful overmuch you’ve had to spell done that nary of america person ever had to spell through,” helium said. “So it’s conscionable truthful important that you guys truly dive into your intelligence health.”

And past helium signed immoderate autographs.

Contact Jonah Dylan astatine jdylan@reviewjournal.com. Follow @TheJonahDylan connected Twitter.