RJ3 Foundation Official Instagram

Ryan Jefferson was a division 1 recruit for the UIUC baseball program. Outside of his talent, tenacity, and drive on the baseball field, he was a loving, caring, and wonderful child who wanted nothing more than to give and show love to every soul that he met. Despite his baseball success and his large base of friends and family that he loved and loved him, Ryan took his life at the age of 16.

Mental health is real. It affects millions of people and often it affects the people who smile the brightest and love the largest. When fate decides it is time for someone to leave us, the best things we can do to keep them alive are to remember them for who they were and strive to create a better world inspired by their memory.

The purpose of the RJ3 foundation is to honor Ryan’s legacy through raising awareness about mental health, providing access to resources and support for struggling athletes, and sharing the story of who Ryan was and the impact he had on the communities he was apart of. Our vision is a world in which the barriers of mental health are overcome through the power of sports and unity.

To learn more about us and the work we’ll be doing to help developing athletes overcome mental-health struggles, please reach out and/or check out our website.

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