Dudes, mental wellness is on the rise!

The sun is shining bright on the Tar Heel campus, and the Franklin All Nighter is just around the corner. But this year's event is more than just a fun run – it's a celebration of mental wellness and a chance to raise awareness for a very important cause.

At the heart of it all is Elijah Green, a former UNC football running back who's turned his passion for mental health into a foundation. And at the helm of the foundation is none other than Paul Burgess, the senior pastor at University Baptist Church in Chapel Hill.

Burgess has been hosting the Franklin All Nighter for five years now, and this year's event is all about raising money for mental health services in Orange County. The goal is to bring in $30,000, and with the help of some amazing organizations and departments, they're well on their way to reaching that mark.

But what makes this year's event so special is the presence of Elijah Green, who's been open about his own struggles with mental health. As a former athlete, Green knows what it's like to feel the pressure to perform, to be perfect. And it's a struggle that many athletes face, including the ones who will be participating in the Franklin All Nighter.

Green's story is one of hope and resilience. After the loss of his childhood friend, Bryce Pitts, Green found himself struggling to cope with his emotions. He turned to counseling and found that it helped him to better understand himself and his mental health.

Now, Green is on a mission to help others do the same. His foundation is all about providing accessible mental health resources for athletes, and he's developed an app that's designed to help them manage their mental well-being.

"It's not a replacement for counseling," Green says, "but it's a streamlined way for athletes to understand what they're feeling and practices that could help them through guided meditations, visualizations to combat negative thoughts, and educate on how to connect with a mental health provider, if need be."

The app is just one part of the foundation's flagship program, which is designed to help athletes develop a daily mental health practice. It's a concept that Green is passionate about, and he's convinced that it can make a real difference in the lives of athletes.

"Your brain's a muscle in the same way your biceps are a muscle," Green says. "So if you continue to train your mind to think positively, you can start to see those results in the same way."

The Franklin All Nighter is just the beginning for Green's foundation. He's already onboarded his alma mater, Blessed Trinity Catholic, to start running the program with the football team next week. And he's got big plans for the future, including expanding the program to other schools and communities.

For now, though, the focus is on the Franklin All Nighter. And with Green's passion and dedication, you can bet that this year's event will be one to remember.

As Burgess says, "It's a way of promoting mental wellness and raising money for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)." And with Green's foundation at the helm, you can be sure that the Franklin All Nighter will be a huge success.

So mark your calendars, folks. The Franklin All Nighter is just around the corner, and it's going to be an event to remember.