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Flourish Foundation Project, Inc Presents

Play & Stay — Live™ Championship

Esports Music & Resilience — Built In.

A historic moment at an iconic location. National brands, industry leaders, schools, and communities unite for stigma-free awareness, prevention, and innovation. Welcome to the next era in competitive gaming — where esports, music production, and creative media join forces to level up skill, purpose, and collaborative impact.

September 24–25, 2026Lake Placid, New YorkHybrid · In-Person + National Stream

Esports. Music. & Resilience — Built In.

Hosted by Flourish Foundation Project Inc., a nonprofit community behavioral health organization, in collaboration with the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA) at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, New York. Communities, schools, universities, and national brands unite at an iconic Olympic venue to address the national youth suicide crisis — delivered through stigma-free entry points to care that meet young people where they are and delivering powerful suicide prevention strategies designed for youth.

The Event

What Is Play & Stay — Live™?

Play & Stay — Live™ is a prevention-centered national activation strengthening protective factors for youth ages 10–24. Competitive esports, music performance, CPR training, creative media, and leadership development merge into one seamless experience where prevention isn't a separate program — it's built into every moment.

High-Stakes Competition

Esports tournaments meet wellness pitstops. Between matches, youth learn hands-only CPR, internet safety, and resilience strategies. Every round sharpens skill. Every stage builds confidence.

Music as Intervention

Music amplifies voice, affirms life, and becomes a strategic tool for managing stress and building resilience — no lectures, just impact.

Stigma-Free Support

Practical tools, micro-certifications, and career pathways are woven throughout — making prevention feel native, not clinical.

National Brand Leadership

Industry leaders unite at an iconic Olympic venue, signaling to youth that prevention is powerful, aspirational, and future-focused.

Youth engage through platforms they already love. Prevention messaging is layered into the experience — making it feel natural, not forced.

Why This is Urgent

The National Youth Suicide Crisis

The Crisis Is Real

Youth suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young people in the United States. The scale demands urgent, coordinated action:

Annually, there are 1.7 million suicide attempts, resulting in 51,000 lives lost — that's 1 every 11 minutes. Critically, 23% of the lives lost are children and youth, directly impacting 60% of U.S. households.

The ripple effects extend across industries, workforce stability, and even national security. This is not a single-sector issue — it requires collaborative innovation across communities, education, healthcare, and industry.

Meeting Youth Where They Are

Young people spend an average of 7.5 hours per day outside school hours on digital platforms — gaming, streaming, social media, and music spaces that rarely include visible prevention or intervention messaging.

These hours are opportunity. When positive reinforcement, resilience education, and visible support are embedded directly into the platforms youth frequent most, prevention becomes normalized and stigma decreases.

Effective prevention must be built for youth, not at them — designed to resonate within the environments that shape their daily experience, identity, and sense of belonging.

1.7M

Suicide Attempts

Annual suicide attempts among all ages in the United States

51K

Lives Lost Annually

One life lost every 11 minutes of every day

23%

Children & Youth

23% of the lives lost are children and youth

60%

Household Reach

Percentage of U.S. households directly impacted by suicide loss or attempt

Competition & Creative Media

The Next Level in Esports & Music

Play & Stay — Live™ represents the next level in competitive esports and music engagement — where leadership and mental resilience are built in. K–12 and collegiate esports teams from across the nation are invited to demonstrate and develop competitive strategy in an environment designed to strengthen focus, adaptability, teamwork, and composure under pressure.

Esports Activations

Compete in structured, high-stakes esports tournaments that sharpen strategy, communication, and leadership under pressure.

Music & Resilience

Music is the universal language used to engage, inspire, and teach strategic resilience. No lectures — music is the intervention.

Youth-Led Creative Media

SoundQuest Station's youth-run PeerCast captures the event live — youth engage with online interactives, conduct interviews, and connect with industry leaders in real time.

Career Exploration

Explore pathways in esports development, music, STEM, wellness, and technology through mentorship and industry engagement.

Why Future Pathways Reduce Suicide

Career exploration and future orientation directly reduce hopelessness and suicide risk. When youth see a future worth living for, they choose life. Research consistently shows that purpose and direction serve as powerful protective factors against self-harm and suicidal ideation. Our approach simultaneously crates a sustainable pipeline of mentally resilient, technologically-savvy, engaged community leaders within their schools, colleges, and communities—fostering safe, caring, and long term global competitiveness and economic strength for Charlotte.

Our Program Builds Hope Through:

Music & Creative Arts

Self-expression through production, performance, and creation

Gaming & Digital Storytelling

Building leadership through interactive media

STEM & AI Exposure

Future-ready skills for tomorrow's careers

Leadership Opportunities

Developing confidence and communication skills

Real-World Certifications

QPR, CPR, and digital skills credentials

Peer Connection

Positive mentorship and community belonging

We turn purpose into a protective factor. When young people discover their gifts and envision their future, hope replaces despair.

Beyond the Event

SoundQuest Station™: A National Ecosystem of Support

SoundQuest Station™ is Flourish Foundation Project's youth enrichment program — the ecosystem that birthed Play & Stay — Live™. Communities, schools, and national brands unite in a coordinated response: prevention by design through gaming, music, and creative media. Youth learn, teach back, and share hope on platforms where they already spend their time — preparing them for an AI-driven world while saving lives.

This cross-sector ecosystem empowers youth with micro-certifications, career pathways, and peer leadership skills — transforming prevention from a program into a movement. Youth become connectors in their schools. Crisis shifts to future-focus. Suicidal ideation is replaced with purpose.

National Reach

A Hybrid Experience Streaming Nationally

Play & Stay — Live™ extends far beyond the walls of the Olympic Center through a live interactive digital twin experience streaming nationally. Schools, families, and community organizations across the country can engage virtually — bringing the energy, the prevention messaging, and the community connection directly to their classrooms and living rooms.

In-Person at the Olympic Center

Student delegations, esports teams, music performers, and industry leaders gather at one of America's most iconic venues in Lake Placid, New York — an environment that signals excellence and national significance.

National Digital Twin Stream

Schools and organizations nationwide participate interactively through the digital twin platform — coordinating watch parties, virtual team engagement, and live access to prevention-centered programming from anywhere in the country.

Measurable Impact at Scale

The hybrid model dramatically expands reach, enabling Flourish Foundation Project Inc. and its partners to demonstrate measurable, data-driven impact across communities, districts, and regions nationwide.

A National Stage Built for Iconic Brand Presence

Play & Stay — Live is designed for memorable, premium brand integration that feels authentic, purposeful, and aligned with youth culture and innovation. This isn't just sponsorship—it's a national partnership in a prevention uniting school, communities, and national brands for tailored-for-youth solutions for wellbeing..

Broadcast-Ready Main Stage

Professionally designed for national live stream and in-person audience impact, with multiple camera angles and premium production quality

National Live Stream Reach

Extending beyond Lake Placid to schools, community centers, and homes nationwide—amplifying your message across the country

Authentic Integration Moments

Sponsor presence woven naturally into the event experience, from stage elements to interactive activations

Play & Stay Live Championship™
Esports, Music & Wellness Youth Summit

Exploring Real Career Pathways Through Interactive Experiences

This summit transforms learning into discovery. Students don't just attend—they engage, explore, and experience real-world career pathways. Interactive exhibits connect their interests to future opportunities, fostering hands-on discovery, not lectures. Designed to inspire curiosity, confidence, and direction, this event builds a bridge from passion to profession.

Featured Career Exploration Zones

Auto Design & Innovation

  • Digital vehicle design experiences
  • Engineering concepts in action
  • Future mobility and innovation pathways

Video Game Development

  • Game world creation and design logic
  • Coding concepts and creative storytelling
  • Interactive development environments

Esports Strategy & Competitive Play

  • Decision-making under pressure
  • Team communication and performance strategy
  • Skills that translate beyond the game

For Schools & Districts

Educational Leaders: Bring Your Students

Play & Stay — Live™ supports prevention-centered youth engagement directly aligned with student wellness, social-emotional learning, and leadership initiatives. Whether your school competes in-person or participates virtually, this is a powerful opportunity to connect students to a national community of peers, mentors, and mission-aligned programming.

Register a Student Delegation

Bring a school delegation of students & esports competitive teams to Lake Placid or register for virtual participation. Open to K–12 schools and universities nationwide. Connect students to leadership, wellness, and career pathways in a nationally recognized setting.

NY Transportation Assistance

K–12 schools within New York State may apply for transportation assistance to help bring students to the Olympic Center. Applications are available through the registration portal — limited assistance is available and awarded on a first-come basis.

Coordinate a Watch Party

Can't make it in person? Organize an interactive virtual watch party at your school or community organization. Engage students in real-time with the national stream and access educator resources aligned to the event's wellness curriculum.

Corporate & CSR Alignment

Stand in Leadership With Us

Youth suicide prevention requires visible leadership across industries. Play & Stay — Live™ offers national brands an unparalleled opportunity to stand in coordinated leadership within an iconic Olympic venue and hybrid national platform — demonstrating authentic commitment to the communities they serve.

Why Partner With Play & Stay — Live™?

When youth see consistent signals of support from respected industry leaders, protective factors increase and stigma decreases. Your brand's presence in this space sends a powerful, lasting message to an audience of 10–24 year-olds and their families, educators, and communities.

Together, we can help change the narrative and fight youth suicide at the national level.

Partnership Benefits Include

  • Demonstrated leadership in youth suicide prevention
  • Direct engagement with youth audiences ages 10–24
  • Integration across esports, music, sport, and innovation verticals
  • National digital exposure through hybrid streaming
  • Participation in a structured, prevention-centered activation
  • Alignment with Flourish Foundation Project Inc.'s collaborative impact ecosystem
  • CSR documentation and co-branded impact reporting

Media Center & Call to Action

Join the National Response

Together, communities, schools, and national brands can stand visibly in support of young lives. Join us in building a coordinated national response — where competitive excellence, creative expression, and resilience come together to help youth embrace life and build bright futures.

Media Resources

Download official assets and connect with our media team for coverage, interviews, and partnership inquiries.

  • Official Event Flyer (Download)
  • Official Press Release (Download)
  • CSR Overview Document (Download)
  • Media Contact: info@flourish.foundation

Get Involved Today

Whether you are a school administrator, corporate leader, media partner, or community organization — there is a meaningful role for you in this national activation. Reach out to our team to explore partnership, participation, and sponsorship opportunities.

Play & Stay — Live™ Championship: Esports, Music & Wellness Youth Summit · September 24–25, 2026 · Olympic Center, Lake Placid, New York · Produced by Flourish Foundation Project Inc. in collaboration with ORDA · Hybrid In-Person + National Digital Stream

About the Organizer

Flourish Foundation Project Inc.

Flourish Foundation Project Inc. is a nonprofit community behavioral health organization dedicated to preventing youth suicide and strengthening mental resilience across communities. We are known for stigma-free, innovation-driven solutions that improve access to and effectiveness of care for youth, families, and communities nationwide.

Our mission is to help youth and young adults embrace life, avoid self-harm, and build bright futures — fueling safe, caring, and globally competitive communities. We believe that the most effective prevention meets young people where they already are: in the digital spaces, competitive environments, and creative communities they call home.

Stigma-Free Prevention %Innovation

Solutions designed to reduce stigma and normalize help-seeking through familiar, youth-forward platforms and experiences.

Collaborative Impact

We convene schools, brands, healthcare systems, and government partners into a coordinated ecosystem of prevention and support.

Youth-Centered Design

Every program and activation is designed around the needs, interests, and lived experiences of youth ages 10–24.


Connect with Us

Contact Flourish Foundation Project Inc.

We are dedicated to preventing youth suicide and strengthening mental resilience. Reach out to us with your questions, partnership inquiries, or to learn more about how you can support our mission.

Visit Our Website

www.flourish.foundation

Send Us an Email

info@flourish.foundation

Give Us a Call

704-661-3005

Schedule 30 Minute Meeting

www.calendly.com/flourish-info

Your support helps us continue our vital work in communities nationwide, creating a future where every young person can thrive.

Official Press Release