CLEVELAND — Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love has tried to be a leader both on the floor for his young teammates, and off the court as an advocate for mental health.
The 30-year-old Love is set to be recognized for his efforts at raising awareness for mental health issues as one of the recipients of the Change Maker Awards at the Child Mind Insitute's fifth annual ceremony at New York City's Carnegie Hall on May 1.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Love will receive the Champion Award for his mental health advocacy. Last year, Love revealed in an essay in the Players Tribune that he has struggled with depression and anxiety.
"Mental health isn’t just an athlete thing. What you do for a living doesn’t have to define who you are. This is an everyone thing. No matter what our circumstances, we’re all carrying around things that hurt — and they can hurt us if we keep them buried inside," Love wrote.
After the essay was published, the All-Star created The Kevin Love Fund, inspiring people to live their healthiest lives while providing the tools to achieve physical and emotional well-being. He also donated a free subscription of the Headspace app to all of the student athletes and coaches at his alma mater UCLA to mark World Mental Health Day. The app focuses on guided meditation and mindfulness.
Love will be joined by fellow honorees Goldie Hawn and Harry and Laura Slatkin at the Change Maker Awards. The Oscar-winning actress Hawn will receive the Activist Award for her work with the nonprofit MindUP, which seeks to provide children with the skills to cope with stress and emotional scenarios and prevent depression, anxiety and suicide. Harry and Laura Slatkin, the owner and chairman of Homeworx and founder of NEST Fragrances, respectively, will receive the Visionary Award in honor of work founding the nonprofit New York Collaborates for Autism.
Meanwhile, the fortunes of the Cavs have improved since Love returned from foot surgery last month. In 15 games played, the veteran big man has averaged 17.6 points and 10.8 rebounds, while the Cavaliers have posted a 7-8 record.