‘Bring purpose to the pain;’ UD, Ohio State to meet in charity game benefiting mental health orgs

DAYTON — Two of the state’s most prominent basketball programs will meet for an October exhibition game for a good cause.

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The Dayton Flyers and Ohio State Buckeyes have scheduled an October 22 charity game in the name of adolescent and young adult mental health and suicide prevention, according to a UD athletics spokesperson.

The game will be played at the University of Dayton Arena but the time will be announced later. All proceeds from the game and surrounding events will benefit the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Ohio, the spokesperson said.

The exhibition will be the conclusion of multiple events in the area including two town halls on the Thursday and Friday before the game. The town halls will be focused on helping people find mental health care for themselves and loved ones and will feature discussions and presentations by Dayton head coach Anthony Grant and his wife Chris.

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The Grants have strived to ”bring purpose to the pain” after the death of their daughter Jay in 2022 following battles with her own mental health.

“First, I want to express my deepest thanks and appreciation to Coach (Chris) Holtmann, Athletic Director Gene Smith and the Ohio State community for participating in this special event. They have been incredibly gracious partners and we’re thankful for their participation. More importantly, the game is a collaborative effort to help raise awareness, generate conversation, and increase access to mental health services in Ohio and throughout the country,” Anthony Grant said.

“Anthony’s willingness to share his family’s story in hopes of helping others is inspirational and we appreciate him including Ohio State in this event. We are excited that the proceeds will benefit the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and other local organizations,” Holtmann said.

Tickets to the game will be included in the package for UD season ticket holders. Single game tickets will be sold at a later date.

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