North American esports organisation Counter Logic Gaming (CLG) has announced a new partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).Together, the partners will work to “improve mental health conditions in the gaming and esports industry”.CLG will assist NAMI with its fundraising efforts, the first method of such help is through the creation of a co-branded jersey alongside Mental Health Awareness Month in May. All proceeds from the collaborative jersey will go to the grassroots mental health organisation.Nick Allen, COO of Counter Logic Gaming said the following in a statement: “The work that NAMI does in the mental health awareness field is incredibly impactful and we believe the gaming community could benefit a great deal from their efforts to creating better lives for those suffer from these disorders.”Per the announcement, the deal will see the two parties work together to “foster a community of awareness, caring and support” in esports. CLG has committed to the StigmaFree company partnership, obligating to create a culture aware of mental health’s importance.Mary Giliberti, CEO of NAMI added: “Nearly 50 million Americans are affected by mental illness and they often encounter stigma, or invisible barriers to acceptance and understanding, including in the workplace. This is something we need to change, together. NAMI is thrilled to have CLG partner with us as a StigmaFree company and commit to joining us in our fight to end the stigma of mental illness through education, increased awareness, and social action.”CLG is also partnered with Twitch, Legendary Builds, OMEN by HP, Squarespace, Spectrum, and MAXNOMIC by NEEDforSEAT. In July last year, Esports Insider reported that the organisation had entered a deal with PepsiCo – this later materialised in a partnership with Mountain Dew AMP Game Fuel.Esports Insider says: With the rise of awareness surrounding the importance of mental health, we’re starting to slowly see more and more esports organisations get involved to play their part. It’s encouraging to see Counter Logic Gaming get involved with such an initiative and we only hope others in the scene do something similar before long.
