少女福利

鈥淭he better the mustache,听the more points you鈥檒l score.鈥�

That鈥檚 a prediction from Kevin Hummer, St. Mike鈥檚 Marketing staff member and creator of a first-of-its-kind 3-v-3 charity basketball tournament hosted by Saint Michael鈥檚 College on November 19.

Kevin Hummer, creator of a charity 3-v-3 Basketball Tournament at Saint Michael’s College.

Hummer鈥檚 statement was in response to听whether there is a correlation between awesome 鈥榮taches and skills on the court.

What do mustaches and basketball have in common, you might be asking. The combo may be a bit silly, but it is in support of a cause that is serious.

The upcoming tournament will benefit 鈥淢ovember,鈥� the international men鈥檚 health organization whose name is also a portmanteau of the Australian 鈥渕o鈥� for mustache and November 鈥� the non-profit鈥檚 primary fundraising period. Movember raises funds and awareness about men鈥檚 mental health as well as prostate and testicular cancers.

Saint Michael鈥檚 College students, faculty, and staff can put together teams to compete to win swag and a cash prize.

Hope Happens Here听(HHH)听鈥� the听St. Mike鈥檚听homegrown foundation,听which听focuses听on听student-athlete mental health听鈥� is putting on the event听in partnership with Hummer.听It鈥檚听a special one for HHH,听which just hit a major milestone: its听10-year anniversary.听听

Hope Happens Here听and听Movember:听Counterparts in a shared mission听

Hope Happens听Here听听is听a student-run athlete organization. It started at Saint Michael鈥檚 College in 2015 and has since branched out to include chapters at other colleges and even local high听schools.听Movember听is an international movement that began in Australia in 2003 and is characterized (along with another similar group, No Shave November) by men growing facial hair in solidarity听to increase awareness.听听

The two organizations are reaching their听particular base听鈥� whether local or worldwide 鈥� with complementary missions.听

Nicholas Wracker ’26

鈥淓nding the stigma about talking through mental health struggles is a daunting task, and HHH and听Movember听are both playing their part to make it more okay to talk about your mental health,鈥澨齭aid听Hummer, who is himself a former college athlete.听鈥淏oth these organizations are founded on the principal that it鈥檚 okay to not be听okay, and听promoting that we should be able to talk about mental health like it鈥檚 a broken bone is an important step in making that change.鈥濃��听

Nicholas听Wracker听鈥�26, men鈥檚 hockey player and one of HHH鈥檚 tri-chairs responsible for putting on the event, said he has witnessed others鈥� struggles with mental health and has sought understanding and ways to help.听听

Athletes are accustomed to pushing limits 鈥� whether reaching new heights or pushing through physical ailments. So, it can be natural to also push away mental health issues when they arise,听Wracker听explained, particularly for those constantly in pursuit of being the best.听听听

鈥淢ental health-wise 鈥� you can be at your best by seeking help, not by keeping it in,鈥� Wracker said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 the more important thing to really understand.鈥� 听

Ten years and counting 鈥� HHH reaches major milestone听

Hope Happens Here was started by St. Mike鈥檚 hockey players Danny Divis听鈥�17听and Justin McKenzie听鈥�17. For each, the inspiration was deeply personal.听

鈥�I had opened up to Justin about my previous struggles with depression and anxiety,鈥澨鼶ivis said.听

听鈥淚 had previously lost a family member to suicide,鈥� McKenzie said.听鈥淚n the summer of 2015, a friend of mine from high school, Timothy Hamlett, who was a track and field athlete from听uPenn, also took his life.鈥澨�听听听听听听听听听听听听听

The pair听were compelled to do something.听听

听鈥淭here wasn’t really a ton of chatter about mental health in the sports space, and it felt like it could really make a difference,鈥� Divis said.听听

Justin McKenzie ’17 (left) and Danny Divis ’17 were awarded the Hockey Humanitarian Award in 2017 after creating Hope Happens Here. (Saint Michael’s College Athletics Department file photo)

听On November 3, 2015, encouraged by the Athletics Department, they put their听idea听into action during a Women鈥檚 Volleyball听game.听听

听鈥淲e rushed over to the local CVS that afternoon, bought a bunch of听Sharpies and posterboard, printed out a few pamphlets we found online,听and set up a table with a small bucket to raise funds for another organization,鈥� Divis said.听鈥淚t’s fun to look back on that moment and see how we grew from there.鈥�听

听It certainly did grow.听鈥�听

听At one point there were more than 20 chapters between NE10 and northeast colleges and high schools across the area.听

听The current group on campus has been听very active.听

听HHH puts on signature events听including one听for听Movember听鈥撎齠or听this year,听it鈥檚听the听basketball tournament听鈥撎齛nd听they听bring in the听Vermont chapter of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)听to听speak to student-athletes. Each team turns at least one of their home games into an awareness game which includes students giving speeches beforehand and听tabling with听mental health resources.听听

Some events raise money for other organizations including Project听HOePpnEr听and Morgan鈥檚 Message 鈥� the latter is supported by a spring Pie-in-the-Face event. A Homerun Derby raises funds directly for Hope Happens Here materials,听such as shirts, stickers, temporary tattoos, and gear. The group also听provides 鈥渃ircle鈥� opportunities for groups of听student-athletes听to share听what鈥檚听on their minds听with one听another.听

Now a senior,听Wracker听has been involved with Hope Happens Here since his first semester, including in听a leadership role since he was a sophomore.听It鈥檚听been important to him to help grow the organization鈥檚 reach, and he feels honored to follow in the footsteps of Divis and McKenzie 鈥撎齠ellow听hockey players.听听

听鈥淚t鈥檚听super cool to be part of a legacy like that. To see something that was created听ten years ago鈥�To be able to kind of shape the brand moving forward and now have my legacy be part of that legacy,鈥� he said.听

Hope Happens Here event

Divis and McKenzie听didn鈥檛听know ten years ago just how much the group鈥檚 mission would resonate with future听student-athletes.听听听

听鈥淚t’s听really awesome听to see how the organization continues to make a difference,鈥� Divis said.听鈥淚t always blows us away when we log onto social media and see how active the program is at SMC, given how far removed we are from our time there.听All credit goes to the students, coaches, and faculty at St. Mike’s and beyond for continuing to spread the message.鈥�听

听Reflecting upon their time at St. Mike鈥檚, the pair are grateful for how their听idea was received and how, as students, they were encouraged and supported in growing听it into a vibrant campus听organization听capable of helping others.听

听鈥淲e have always said that we don’t believe HHH would have been able to evolve into what it became had we not started it at St. Mike’s,鈥� said McKenzie. 鈥淭here were so many different parts of the campus that either helped us or rallied behind our message that we will forever be grateful for – The Athletics Department (Chris Kenny, Shannon听Bollhardt, Josh Kessler, Damian听DiGiulian), Faculty & Staff (Dave Landers, Paul Olsen, Catherine Welch), our fellow students, even all the way up to President Neuhauser. SMC is such a special place to Dan and听I, and I听wouldn’t听trade my experience there for anything else in the world.鈥濃��听

3v3 Charity Basketball Tournament put on by Hope Happens Here, benefitting Movember

听How the tournament works听

The event is Wednesday, Nov. 19 from 5 to 9 p.m. Teams of three pay a $40 entry fee and will compete in a听double-elimination, March Madness-style bracket. Winners get a $150 cash prize.听

The triumphant team听won鈥檛听necessarily be the only winners 鈥� a raffle will take place with prizes from places such as Phoenix Books, the Saint Michael鈥檚 College Campus Store, Frankie鈥檚, Celly Hockey Co., Sleepy Hollow, The Scale, and Quill Supply Candles. Each player gets 10 raffle tickets to enter, and each spectator who meets the recommended $5 donation receives 5 tickets to enter the raffle.听

Hummer, the event鈥檚 creator, recognizes the need to talk about mental health more openly. He said advocating for a movement like听Movember听has brought him joy and a sense of working towards something bigger than himself.听听

鈥�Helping raise funds for things like therapy, programs that challenge harmful masculine stereotypes, and community mental health initiatives is something I take great pride in and look forward to every year,鈥� Hummer said.听听

He is grateful that the College and Hope Happens Here saw an opportunity to do good by partnering with him to put on this event.听

听Registration听for the basketball charity event has closed, with 11听teams in the听running.听They鈥檒l听need spectators,听though, to cheer听them on in听the Tarrant Recreation Center听on听Nov. 19, Hummer said.听听听

While mustaches 鈥� real or fake 鈥� are encouraged for the tournament,听facial hair will听not be given preferential treatment听by officials, Hummer听cheekily explained.听

听鈥淎ll points will have to be scored properly, no mustache advantages.鈥�听