Yesterday, Gale had the honor of presenting the Cameron K. Gallagher (CKG) Foundation with a check for nearly $9,000 from the proceeds of Cameron's Collection and Cameron's Camp for Wellness on the Gale eBooks platform. The funds will further support CKG Foundation's stigma reduction and educational programs to increase students' mental health literacy, self-awareness and promote positive coping skills. The collections are sets of eBooks curated by Gale in collaboration with CKG Foundation which help students better understand their mental health and provide guidance to strengthen their social and emotional learning (SEL) skills. Download the post-event press kit (b-roll, photos), here.

Since the collections launched in 2018, Gale has donated nearly $80,000 of the proceeds sold to the CKG Foundation. More than half a million students in Virginia have access to the collections.

"I hold this partnership with such gratitude. The generous financial contribution to our work is so very much appreciated. The work that both Gale, and the CKG Foundation do to make sure that each individual person knows they are not alone and there is light, hope, and help is critical," said Grace Gallagher, Cameron's mother and Executive Director of the CKG Foundation. "The fact that there are resources available at any hour— right at your fingertips–is an amazing gift. Thank you, Gale, for knowing how critical accessibility is at any given moment in time in a student's life."

Read the blog Grace Gallagher wrote about Gale's donation and how it supports student mental health and wellness.

Some of the schools/school districts and universities in Virginia that have Cameron's Collection and Cameron's Camp for Wellness on the Gale eBooks platform include:

. Blacksburg High School

. Prince William County Public Schools

. Hanover County Public Schools

. Saint Christopher's School

. Charlottesville City Schools

. Dinwiddie Senior High School

. Loudoun County Public Schools

. Suffolk Public Schools

. Fairfax County Public Schools

. Manassas City Public Schools

. Virginia Beach City Public Schools

. Fauquier County Public Schools

. North Stafford High School

. University of Virginia

. Old Dominion University

. Headquarters Marine Corps.

. Piedmont Virginia Community College

Studies show that one out of five teens suffer from mental health challenges and more than 75% don't seek help[i].

Cameron K. Gallagher was a 16-year-old who suffered from anxiety and depression. She understood the compounding nature of stigma as a barrier to seeking help. Cameron envisioned a world without mental health stigma, especially for teens. She put plans in place to accomplish this goal. On March 16, 2014, Cameron died of an undiagnosed heart condition moments after she crossed the finish line of a half marathon. She chose running as one of her positive coping skills. She loved the enthusiastic support from strangers along the racecourse. Cameron knew with self-reflection and education, open conversations about mental health was possible.

CKG Foundation's mission is to fulfill Cameron's dream and legacy by being a positive force that works to cultivate awareness and understanding of teenage depression and anxiety. The goal is to remove the barrier of stigma in seeking help, to provide opportunity for open, supportive conversations, and bring free original mental health education to teens and their supporters.

To support Cameron's dream and keep her legacy alive, Gale, in collaboration with the CKG Foundation, created Cameron's Collection and Cameron's Camp to ensure schools are equipped with educational resources to help students, as well as donate a portion of the proceeds from each collection sold to the CKG Foundation to support their mission to cultivate awareness and understanding of teenage depression and anxiety.

Cameron's Collection has more than 100 digital titles span a wide range of topics including: ADD, ADHD, alcohol, anorexia, anxiety, bulimia, caregiving, cutting, depression, divorce, drugs, eating disorders, homelessness, OCD, self-injury, stress, suicide, mindfulness practices, goal setting and community involvement. Created in partnership with the CKG Foundation, this collection aims to inspire students to make their mental health and wellness a priority.

Cameron's Camp for Wellness contains more than 100 eBooks that provide targeted guidance on sensitive issues for K–5 students, teachers, and counselors with topics on managing emotions, teamwork, problem-solving, family issues, staying positive, being safe, and much more. The core foundation of this collection is helping students recognize and manage emotions, social skills, and safety.