MARINERS TO PROMOTE 988 MAINE CAMPAIGN WITH SPECIALTY JERSEYS

PORTLAND, ME – March 24, 2025 – The Maine Mariners, in partnership with the State of Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services (Maine DHHS), are helping to promote the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline during their upcoming game on Friday, April 4^th.  The Mariners are combining the two themes of “Renaissance Night” and “Let’s Talk About It” (News Center Maine’s Mental Health Awareness) with specialty jerseys that will include a “988” patch to promote Maine’s crisis hotline.

The national three-digit dialing code—988—provides 24/7, free, confidential support for anyone experiencing a crisis. Dialing or texting 988 from your phone will connect you to a trained professional at the Maine Crisis Line.

"We understand that life can be hard sometimes,” says Sarah Squirrell, Director of the Office of Behavioral Health at Maine DHHS. “Whether you’re struggling with emotional distress, mental health struggles, or substance use concerns, Mainers can simply dial 988 and be connected to a trained, caring professional to talk to. We are grateful for the opportunity to spotlight this resource with the Maine Mariners" 

The Mariners will wear knight’s armor specialty jerseys for Renaissance Night, with the 988 patch displayed in the top corner on the front. News Center Maine has sponsored a “Let’s Talk About It” each year since partnering with the Mariners, raising awareness for mental health and attempting to break down the stigma surrounding it. The Mariners will emphasize that "it doesn't take a knight in shining armor to check on your friends,” tying the two themes together. 

In order to further support mental health initiatives in Maine, 15% of all jersey auction proceeds will benefit The Opportunity Alliance, which operates Maine’s 988 crisis hotline. The full set of game-worn and game-issued jerseys will be available on DASH auctions.

“Mental health is unfortunately something that people don't address as thoroughly as physical health,” said Maine Mariners CEO Adam Goldberg. “You don't always know what your neighbor is going through, what battles the person sitting next to you at a game is fighting, or what your co-workers are dealing with. This new initiative will hopefully go a long way to let people know there are programs to get you the help you need. We need to look out for each other and 988 is a great tool to help.”

Bringing additional fun to the game, the Maine Renaissance Faire, based in Acton, will be on hand to enhance the Renaissance theme. Boston Bruins anthem singer Todd Angilly will also be performing the Star Spangled Banner, as well as “O Canada,” with the visiting Trois-Rivieres Lions as the opponent. The puck will drop at 7:15 PM.

Single game tickets for all home games are available at MarinersOfMaine.com or at the Hammond Lumber Company Box Office inside the Cross Insurance Arena. For more information on ticket packages and group discounts, including season tickets for the 2025-26 season, fans can call 833-GO-MAINE, go to MarinersOfMaine.com, or visit the Mariners front office at 94 Free Street in Portland.