CareSource and Dayton Flyers Bring Mental Health Message to Local Students

DAYTON, Ohio (Oct. 15, 2026) - CareSource, a nonprofit managed care organization, and University of Dayton Athletics gathered 1,600 students from 28 Dayton-area middle and high schools at UD Arena today to encourage students to prioritize their mental health.

The event featured engagement with Dayton Flyers student-athletes, remarks from Anthony and Chris Grant, and a panel discussion with local mental health experts moderated by Brandon Saho. The pep rally, held ahead of Saturday's Dayton vs. Notre Dame charity exhibition game, was part of the CareSource Mental Health Games, a series of events dedicated to raising awareness about adolescent and young adult mental health and suicide prevention.

Throughout the event, students connected with Dayton Flyers men's basketball student-athletes, took part in on-court competitions and heard from speakers who reinforced the message, "It's OK to not be OK," and encouraged students to ask for help when needed.

CareSource also awarded $10,000 to each of three Dayton-area schools to support mental health programming through Healthy Minds, Bright Futures, a program funded by the CareSource Foundation. The schools receiving grants were National Trail Local Schools, West Carrollton Middle School and Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School.

"Mental health matters just as much as physical health, and young people need to hear that from the people they look up to," said Scott Markovich, CareSource executive vice president, markets and products. "Bringing students together at UD Arena makes these conversations a little easier to start. We want every student to leave knowing that they don't have to face hard moments alone and that it's OK to not be OK."

University of Dayton men's basketball head coach Anthony Grant shared the story behind Jay's Light, the fund created to honor his daughter, Jayda, and to champion adolescent and young adult mental health and suicide prevention. He spoke about how CareSource's grant support has reached local schools and community organizations since the partnership began in 2023.

"Every young person deserves to know that their mental health matters and that asking for help is a sign of strength," said Grant. "CareSource has stood with us from the beginning and seeing that support reach students in our community means a great deal to our family and our program."

CareSource and Dayton Men's Basketball will again partner to host Notre Dame in a charity exhibition game Saturday, Oct. 17, at UD Arena. The game will benefit Jay's Light and support awareness of adolescent and young adult mental health and suicide prevention, marking the fourth year of the partnership.

About the CareSource Invitationals

The CareSource Invitationals are a series of college basketball games focused on raising awareness and funds for adolescent and young adult mental health, with an emphasis on suicide prevention. Launched in 2023, these events are part of CareSource's commitment to addressing whole-person health in communities through physical engagement and mental health support. Invitationals have engaged more than 10,000 high school students and reached over 100,000 college basketball fans nationwide.