A Tuscaloosa teen who helped organize mental health resources for middle school students in West Alabama is getting an all-expenses-paid trip to Super Bowl LX after he was named a national Champion of Change by the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
LJ Bester, a club member of Boys and Girls Clubs of West Alabama, was one of three teens chosen nationwide through an NFL-backed youth challenge run by BGCA called Think, Learn, Create Change program.
His project centered on what he and other teens saw as a lack of mental health support for young people in their county. The group distributed mental health kits for middle school students and hosted a community mental health fair in Moundville last fall.
“I’ve seen how easily young people can lose their sense of direction when they don’t feel supported,” Bester said. “When someone believes in you and gives you the right tools, it can be the difference between drifting and finding purpose.”
The trip includes tickets to the big game and access to the Super Bowl Experience.
NFL senior vice president of social responsibility Anna Isaacson said the league’s foundation is using “the power of our platform to create opportunity for the next generation.