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Local brewery, nonprofit team up for mental health awareness

Carl Specht
Posted at 12:20 PM, May 22, 2022
and last updated 2022-05-22 14:00:41-04

SHAWNEE, Kan. — Transport Brewery and Carl's Cause are teaming up to raise money for mental health awareness in the Kansas City metro.

After the Specht family lost their son Carl to suicide in 2017, they created Carl's Cause, a nonprofit working to provide mental health awareness.

Carl's Cause helped fund a mental health navigator at the University of Kansas Health System Strawberry Hill Behavioral Health campus for a year, and the Spechts say they hope that role continues to be there for those in need.

"She helps people connect resources when they leave Strawberry Hill. She also meets with not only the individuals, but the families as well, to really make it a holistic approach. She works with families of people, while they're impatient and then even connects with them as they are discharged and out in the community again," Kelly Specht, Carl's mom said.

Transport Brewery will hold a fundraiser from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday, and created a special pale ale to raise proceeds for Carl's Cause.

It's called "Carl's Cause 3 C's Pale Ale," with each 'C' having a significant meaning.

"We call it the Carl's Cause 3 C's because we've always had three 'C's: create awareness, combat stigma and connect resources has kind of been our driving force, what we've been doing for mental health," Specht said.

Mental health resources will be listed on the pale ale's can.