Established in 2017, the Nick’s Voice Fund was dedicated to educating our community about the signs, treatment, and therapy related to depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders effecting the mental health of our children. The goal of this fund was to create a dramatic effect on the suicide rates in the Kansas City area by passionately and compassionately providing resources to insure healthy and fulfilling lives for our future generations.

In 2018, through the Nick’s Voice Fund, Fore the Kids devoted its resources to enhancing a school-based mental health initiative between Children’s Mercy’s and the Blue Valley School District. Through the Nick’s Voice Fund, proceeds from the 2018 & 2019 tournaments allowed for the creation of the Nick Timmons Endowed Professorship in Developmental and Behavioral Sciences. This endowed fund supported a new position to be used by the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Sciences to enhance research efforts to prevent suicide and treat anxiety, depression and mood disorders in the adolescent population. The first of its kind at Children’s Mercy, this endowed professorship position allows the hospital to further enhance all efforts to address pediatric and adolescent mental health in our community.

Proceeds from the 2020 tournament, which raised a record amount, allowed for the elevation of the professorship to the Nick Timmons Endowed Chair in Developmental and Behavioral Sciences. Reaching the prominent chair level is an honor and will set the course for all new developments and research in the mental health field. Dr. Sarah Soden accepted this chair position with the hospital and we are very excited to see what she has in store.