Sharing stories about personal issues is tough, yet two NFL football greats, Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys and Solomon Thomas of the New York Jets, who are tough on the gridiron, told their stories at Grant Halliburton Foundation’s 14th annual Beacon of Hope Community Luncheon.

The fundraising luncheon, held on March 7 at the Omni Dallas Hotel, supports Grant Halliburton Foundation’s work providing education, resources and support for children, teen and young adult mental health and suicide prevention in North Texas. Both young men are on a mission to raise awareness about mental health and suicide through their foundations off the field.

As guests arrived, they enjoyed several mental health activations, viewed and purchased raffle packages, enjoyed the champagne wall and listened to DJ Lucy Wrubel playing lively music.

Steve Noviello, FOX 4 News consumer reporter, served as the master of ceremonies. The Conly Family—Jeanie and Bert Conly and their children, Lindsey and Aaron Berg, Mark Briscoe, and Kendall and Luke Cagle—were the luncheon chairs, with Barb Farmer as the founding luncheon chair. Dr. Clayton Oliphant, senior pastor of First United Methodist in Richardson, gave the invocation.

“We are grateful to all of you for being a part of the largest gathering of any event in our 17-year history—700 strong—all here to support adolescent mental health,” Kevin Hall, Grant Halliburton Foundation president, said. “One thing has not changed—and that is the ever-growing need to support young people with their mental health. I wish I could stand up here and tell you that the mental health crisis is trending in a positive direction, but the hard truth is, the crisis continues to grow.”

Vanita Halliburton, Grant Halliburton Foundation co-founder and executive chairman, spoke about the organization she co-founded after losing her son Grant to suicide 17 years ago and the state of mental health in young people.

 “GHF was meant to be a wellspring of information, guidance, resources and encouragement for those engaged in the fight for someone’s mental health—for themselves or for someone they care about,” Halliburton said. “Those are sobering statistics, but this is why we exist. Grant Halliburton Foundation is waging a strong and winning fight against the stigma around mental health. One thing we know for sure: brought out of the shadows and into the light, stigma quickly dies.”

Noviello introduced Andy Adler, CBS 11 Sports Anchor and Children’s Rights Activist. Adler introduced and interviewed Prescott and Thomas.

“Dak and Solomon have many gifts—talent, intelligence and success,” Adler said. “They’ve also both suffered great loss and with that comes a platform to communicate about mental health and suicide prevention.”

Prescott has shared openly about his own mental health challenges. He established the Faith Fight Finish Foundation as a tribute to his mom, Peggy, who lost her battle with colon cancer in 2013, and its work also honors his brother, Jace, who died by suicide in 2020.

Similarly, Thomas, a Dallas native, lost his sister, Ella, to suicide in 2018 and has spoken openly to his teammates, other players and the public. He co-founded The Defensive Line with his parents, Martha and Chris Thomas, and the organization focuses on mental health and suicide prevention. Off the field, Solomon has dedicated his life to sharing Ella’s story.

Later in the program, three local students joined Prescott and Thomas on stage to ask questions.

“What advice would you give to teenagers if we know someone who is struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide?” Chloe Moore, asked.

Prescott replied, “Be a friend and talk about it. Ask how are you really doing?’ Pick at the fire. Put that really in there. Say things like, ‘I’m here for you. I’ve noticed small changes in your behavior.’”

Thomas reiterated how important it is to be a friend and to be open about talking about going to therapy and sharing what he learned to normalize the conversations about mental health and getting help.

After the presentation, Hall presented the Beacon Award to both Prescott and Thomas for their leadership on and off the field to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.

“Dak and Solomon are both a beacon of hope in our communities,” Hall said. “Their leadership on and off the field to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention is to be commended.”

By T.J. Griffin
Senior Director of Communications