Hilinski's Hope Student Athlete Mental Health Boxes
Championing Mental Health in Athletics— One Box at a Time
Merch With a Mission: Sparking Conversations in Every State
At College Hill, we believe merchandise can do more than represent a brand—it can represent hope. When that merchandise helps open up conversations, spread awareness, and break down stigma around mental health in student athletics, we know we’re creating something truly meaningful.
Each year, we have the honor of partnering with Hilinski’s Hope Foundation (H3H) to design and distribute custom Student Athlete Mental Health Boxes as part of their nationwide campaign for Student Athlete Mental Health Week. What began as a box of gear became a symbol of solidarity, strength, and support for student athletes across the country.
The Project
The Goals
Challenge the stigma surrounding mental health in sports, provide visibility tools to empower athletes, coaches, and fans to advocate for mental wellness, and design a scalable solution that schools could easily distribute for campus-wide impact during Mental Health Week.
The Message
“The custom CH Mental Health Boxes could be one of our favorite projects! The message the boxes send—along with the incredible mental health products inside—send a powerful message to our colleges, universities, and high schools across the country: you and your mental health matter.”
— Kym Hilinski, Co-Founder, Hilinski’s Hope Foundation
The Numbers
250 Custom Mental Health Boxes created and packed by hand, 88,000+ student athletes reached, 210+ colleges and universities participated, 65+ high schools and clubs involved nationwide, every US state represented in Student Athlete Mental Health Week, and thousands of pieces of green ribbon gear worn as signs of support
What we delivered
Each of the 250 custom-curated boxes was packed with thoughtful, symbolic items designed to both start conversations and show support, including:
- 200 Helmet Decals
- 100 Hair Ties
- 100 Lapel Pins
- 1 Spool of Green Ribbon
- 100 Iron-On Patches
- 800 Temporary Tattoos
- 200–300 Wristbands
- 1 Branded Postcard with campaign messaging
Every item proudly displayed Hilinski’s Hope’s signature green ribbon or the “3” symbol honoring Tyler Hilinski—a powerful visual reminder that mental health matters, and no athlete is alone.
“These boxes remind our student athletes (and also include our marching bands—they make every game SO much better!) how much they need to take care of not just their physical health but their mental health too.”— Kym Hilinski
our process
Custom design
Elevated and stayed true to Hilinski's Hope's mission and visual identity
our process
Thoughtful kitting
Our curated kitting service ensured each box was assembled by hand with care and intention, and arrived in time for campus activations across the nation. Reliable fulfillment and logistics made large-scale distribution easy across various schools and programs.
The Impact
250 boxes were sent to schools in all 50 states. The visibility this gear brings—from helmet decals to lapel pins—has appeared on TV, in highlight reels, and across social media. It’s not just during the games that the message spreads, it’s what happens between them that creates lasting change.
Since first joining forces with Hilinski’s Hope, College Hill has proudly helped raise over $30,000 through collaborative merchandise efforts—helping fund programming, outreach, and education focused on student athlete mental health.
“Tyler would be very proud of the work College Hill and H3H are doing. Tyler and our Mental Health Boxes are creating awareness, beating down stigma, and in his favorite word, it’s all just ‘AWESOME.’”
— Kym Hilinski
what's next
The work isn't done yet.
Together with Hilinski’s Hope, we’re exploring future opportunities to keep the conversation going and the impact growing:
- Continued development of Mental Health Week kits
- Creation of peer-led advocacy tools and custom educational content
- Custom merchandise collections to benefit H3H and their mission
We’re committed to using branded merchandise as a tool for good—amplifying important causes, uniting communities, and inspiring change.
Ready to get started?
Meet your College Hill Rep today and let us know what you need. Looking for inspiration? We can help with that too.
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