Jim and Sarah Harbaugh moved by 'Fresh Start Clubhouse,' offer donation to aid mental illness
Updated Apr 02, 2019; Posted Feb 22, 2017
Mock Rock 2017
Gallery: Mock Rock 2017
By Nick Baumgardner | nbaumgardner@mlive.com
ANN ARBOR -- An annual Michigan event prompted Jim and Sarah Harbaugh to act Tuesday night in Ann Arbor.
Midway through the Michigan Student-Athlete Advisory Committee's annual "Mock Rock" event at the Power Center, the night's main beneficiary -- Fresh Start Clubhouse -- put on a presentation that stole the show and drew the loudest applause.
Several members of the Ann Arbor-based organization walked onto the stage to share their stories about living with mental illness. A young man named Adam Ballard went into detail about his story.
He explained how mental illness left him divorced and homeless. He attempted suicide on three separate occasions. Then he found Fresh Start Clubhouse and his life with mental illness became more manageable thanks to the program.
"Adam was brilliant, just powerful," Jim Harbaugh said. "I think everybody's been there in a way, to a degree. ... That was the most powerful thing of the night for me.
"We've all (seen) a lot of speeches, now, but that one really, to me, brought home the team element of 'we're all a team.' We're all a team in the sense of 'we're all children of God, we're all part of the mankind team.' "
All the proceeds from Tuesday night's Mock Rock event -- which were not yet tabulated at the close of the show -- went to benefit Fresh Start Clubhouse.
Shortly before the evening came to a close, Harbaugh took the microphone and told the audience that he and his wife wanted to match whatever the donation total closed at.
"It really resonated with me," Harbaugh said. "Being on a team, that's where I've always gotten support. From my family team, to a team-team, some type of team in some form or fashion. That's what resonated with me."
Fresh Start director Summer Berman joined the Harbaughs as honorary judges for the event, as various student-athlete groups from varsity sports teams (women's field hockey, women's lacrosse, men's ice hockey, men's gymnastics, women's rowing, the Michigan Marching Band, baseball and women's soccer) put on a talent show with song and dance numbers throughout the evening.
Members of Michigan's student athletic trainers also performed, as did the school's dance team.
"It was so much fun," Sarah Harbaugh added.
The Clubhouse is dedicated to creating "a culture that transforms the lives of men and women living with mental illness." It aims assist members in employment, education, housing and wellness programs.
For more information, visit the organization's website: http://freshstartclubhouse.org/