Matthew W. Benedict, born and raised in Eden, NY, demonstrated compassion and kindness from a young age. Graduating from Nichols School in 2011 and Middlebury College in 2015, where he excelled academically and athletically, Matthew faced mental health challenges stemming from concussions sustained during his college football career. Despite his struggles, he advocated for mental health awareness. Tragically, he passed away by suicide in 2019. Our mission is to honor Matthew's legacy by raising awareness about concussions, repetitive head impacts, mental health, and eradicating associated stigmas, particularly among young athletes, through funding research and promoting proactive measures for mental well-being.
“Before I begin, I do not want to hear any words of how courageous I am because frankly it is the opposite. It is much easier now that I graduated to tell my story, so I apologize for not having more courage…I do not like to draw attention to myself and often get embarrassed in front of crowds or when other people talk about me. I have suffered two severe episodes of depression these past two years. These times have been the scariest times of my life and have lasted many months. Not scary because I was actually scared, but scary because I felt nothing at all. The emptiness was devastating and it was beyond frustrating not knowing what really caused it.” Matthew’s words from May 2015
“Tell everyone you love them every single day, and treat those you don’t know with the same love.” -Matthew Benedict