In the antecedent chronology of March, 2015, actor and philanthropist Jared Padalecki—the lion’s share of venerated for his dramatization of Sam Winchester on The CW’s time-honored television series, Supernatural, and endeared for his precursory personification of Dean Forester on the coterminous network’s Gilmore Girls—commenced his Represent campaign denominated “Always Keep Fighting”.
Recurrently attributed with the acronym “AKF”, Padalecki inaugurated an artful conception with a complementary illustration cohered unto the tees. The finalized revenue from the shirt transactions equivalent to $250,000 were subsequently contributed to organizations inclusive of To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA), The Wounded Warrior Project, and A.I.R. Attitudes in Reverse – Student Suicide Prevention – Mental Health (“Always Keep Fighting”).
Padalecki, without prevarication, elucidated the protohistory of the expedition of AKF upon its institution, bespeaking that, “On New Years Eve, my dear friend lost his battle with depression. This, unfortunately, wasn’t the first time [I] lost a personal friend to suicide, and it hurt me deeply, in a way that only a personal experience with suicide can. Though he wasn’t the first friend I’ve lost to suicide, I sure hope he’s the last. I wish [I] had the chance to go back and tell them what they meant to me. I wish I had the chance to beg them to seek help, to keep fighting. I wish they knew that they were surrounded by countless others who struggle on a daily basis.
“I hope that this campaign, while raising money for a wonderful charity, can also raise awareness about issues that affect more people than we know. I hope it inspires people battling depression, addiction, mental illness and suicidal thoughts to be vocal about their struggles. I hope it helps people realize that they shouldn’t be ashamed of what they are going through, and I hope it helps people meet and find new friends that they can relate to. I hope it helps people take pride in the fight that they have been fighting, and gives them a push to never give up or give in. I hope it helps inspire people to keep fighting. [No] matter how hard it is.
“For people who deal with mental illness, depression, addiction or suicidal thoughts, every day can bring about new struggles. Every hour and every minute can seem to bring insurmountable odds of happiness. I hope that the simple message of ‘always keep fighting’ can help to bolster somebody through a tough time. I also hope this campaign can help alleviate some of the stigma that the terms ‘mental illness’ and ‘depression’ sometimes evokes.
“Everybody has either dealt with these issues themselves, or had a loved one who deal with them. It’s time for us to put these issues front and center and not be ashamed of the path we are walking. If you’re out there and need help, please seek it. Be proud of your valiant day-to-day struggle. There is no shame in needing support. I hope this campaign will help you be vocal about your own struggles, or vocal in your support of those who might need a helping hand. Most of all, when life seems to want to beat you down, I hope you Always Keep Fighting.”
Succeeding its flabbergasting amplitude in public acknowledgment and prosperousness, Padalecki acquainted six supervening installments, incorporating a “Thanksgiving special”. Collectively, 231,809 merchandise were manufactured and vended nationwide.
Notably, Always Keep Fighting’s one-year anniversary was ceremonialized with a concording memorandum advertised as “Love Yourself First”, which pledged its emoluments to The Pack Fund and the SPNFamily Crisis Support Network.
“Loving yourself is vital in the fight against mental health problems, so I want to encourage y’all to focus on loving yourselves first…each and every one of you is worthy,” Padalecki transcribed to his hyperlink represent.com/jared.
Furthermore, consequential to the heavyhearted contretemps of the Orlando Pulse Nightclub bloodshed, Padalecki promulgated his “I Am Enough” tee publication; howbeit, his appraised beneficences were OneOrlando and the Equality Florida Institute.
Supernatural comrades Jensen Ackles (Days of Our Lives, Dawson’s Creek, Smallville) and Misha Collins (Girl, Interrupted, Nip/Tuck, TSA America) additionally annunciated their propagation and inspiritment of the mental health community in February of 2016, instituting their nascent “You Are Not Alone” largesse through Creation Stands. Their initiatory vendition objective was 35,000, and they aggregated a dumbfounding 40,074 (“Jensen & Misha ‘You Are Not Alone’ Campaign”).
Actifying the aforementioned SPNFamily Crisis Support Network was a fundamental enterprise of You Are Not Alone. Random Acts delineated, “Random Acts is partnering with IMAlive and TWLOHA to raise funds for an exciting new platform: The SPNFamily Crisis Support Network.
This will be a fan-led community support system where trained fans can help other fans deal with depression, self-injury, and addiction.
This campaign is raising the funds needed to develop the community platform, train eligible fan volunteers to be crisis responders, and help get fans in crisis the help they need in their own communities.
If you have questions or want to learn more about becoming a crisis support volunteer, please contact [email protected].”
Internationally, Always Keep Fighting and You Are Not Alone have alleviated the triturating stigmatizations singletons haggard with mental illness are conventionally accosted by. They have pioneered a nondiscriminatory, congenial, serviceable commonality materializing from the Supernatural fellowship itself.
Betiding at San Diego Comic-Con throughout July of 2015, Supernatural aficionado Anne Kirn (@house_of_darkly on Twitter) systematized the assemblage’s thank-you to Padalecki for his unprecedented altruism. Endorsed by Random Acts, Kirn generated 1,200 tealight tapers, which characterized the “Anti-Possession Symbol” and the appellation “Always Keep Fighting”, as well as the epistle, “SPNFAMILY – TEN YEARS STRONG AND COUNTING.” Moreover, Kirn administered an annotation within a cellophane tote:
“Everyone is given a candle that burns just for them.
When your flame flickers and you fear it will go out, know not even the strongest wind lasts for ever, and there are other lights to guide you even in the Darkness…
And when your candle burns bright, you can ignite the hearts of others and hope will spread like wildfire…
Always Keep Fighting, [and] you’ll never fight alone.”
Upon exhibition of the acclamation to the Hall H panelists, Padalecki, Ackles, and Collins were indubitably beholden to the audience, vociferating their individualistic appreciativeness.
Thereafter, Padalecki apprived to Facebook, “To anybody and everybody that had any part whatsoever in the Always Keep Fighting Hall H tea light event.
As I travel back to Vancouver from San Diego Comic-Con, with my partners in crime Jensen Ackles and Mark Sheppard, the enormity of what happened is finally starting to sink in…I am beyond moved.
I feel so blessed, and grateful, and honored to be a part of the magical Supernatural Family.
Sitting on that stage in Hall H, I initially mistook all of the lights for cell phone cameras. It’s difficult to discern specific shapes and faces with all of those stage lights shining on you (and, it’s quite intimidating up there, sitting in front of 6,500 people!). Then, when I had a light given to me with an explanation of what it was and what it stood for, I was (and am still) gob-smacked.
Thank you.
From the very bottom of my heart and my soul, thank you so much.
I will never forget this day. I will never forget the love that I felt, and still feel.
And, to everybody who held a light for me, please know that I hold my light for you.
Though I happened to be the one sitting on stage, I am but one small light in a see of thousands. Together, we can and will make a difference!
Keep letting your light shine. I will do the same.
And, keep fighting.
Always Keep Fighting.”
Thank you, Jared Padalecki. Thank you, Jensen Ackles. Thank you, Misha Collins.
As a galvanized patron to Always Keep Fighting and You Are Not Alone myself, I can authentically predicate the irrefutable pulchritude it has ornamented unto those affiliated. To summarize: the good. It has irreversibly interchanged my pessimism for optimism whilst contending tribulation. It is a consequence of that that I—and my counterparts—are dignified in esteeming ourselves as relatives to the Supernatural family.
To you:
“Be strong in the moments you want to be weak.”
— Jensen Ackles
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