CHAPEL HILL – Name, Image, and Likeness arrived on the college athletics landscape this past summer, and its financial benefit to athletes has been widely embraced and certainly well documented.
Opportunities once not possible have been in abundance for some, and certainly there for everyone. One of the doors that also opened allows athletes to lend their names to causes, even fundraising efforts.
That is how North Carolina tight end Garrett Walston chooses to use his platform, a decision brought on by a personal tragedy last winter. NIL means he can help honor a lost friend and others struggling with mental health issues.
“On February 7 of this year, practically my second little brother committed suicide,” Walston said. “Very tragic event. It shocked my family, his family, the entire community of Wilmington.”
Riley Estes, 19, was also from Wilmington, NC, as is Walston. Estes’ older brother, Burke, and Walston are best friends. Riley was best friends with Walston’s younger brother, Blake, who is a minor league pitcher in the Arizona Diamondbacks system.
The Estes and Walston families weren’t just friends, they were basically family. Parents, too.
“This kid was my second little brother…,” Garrett said. “We went on family trips together, we played sports together. We did everything that two families that are related by blood did. And we’ve always considered each other like four brothers.”
The Walston and Estes boys graduated from New Hanover High School. Riley graduated in 2019 from New Hanover, where he played baseball and football. He spent a year at the University of Arkansas and was a sophomore at UNC-Wilmington at the time of his passing.
Estes’ parents setup a foundation that raises money and awareness about suicide targeting the mental health community. The RILO Foundation comes from Riley’s nickname, “RiLo,” but it’s also an appropriate acronym.
“It’s what everybody called him,” Walston said. “The foundation stands for ‘Reasons I Live On.’ It’s a mental health and suicide prevention foundation.”
Walston signed with marketing agency Loyalty Above All (LAA), and his representative at LAA is cousins with the Estes family. He set up a plan for Walston to use his stature as a major college athlete to raise awareness of the foundation and its mission.
“It’s something I wanted to do, just because of how close I was with him,” Walston said. “I always wanted to help, and being a college athlete, you really can’t do so financially. So, I feel like with my platform I could do something verbally and help spread the message across and help raise money for a cause that seems to becoming more prevalent, especially during the times of COVID.”
LAA has embraced its place in this mission, as noted on a page dedicated to Riley on its official website: “The Estes family, the Walston brothers and all of his loved ones want nothing more than his story and legacy to continue to have an impact on others by creating awareness around this tragic subject.”
The goal is to raise $1 Million, and other organizations have joined in the effort to honor Estes and help the foundation meet its goal.
Men Passion About Christ Ministries, which is part of IMPACT Ministries, will donate to the RILO Foundation every time Walston scores a touchdown this season, and they are inviting others to join in as well.
Walston crossed the goal line for the first time this season Saturday night when the Tar Heels defeated Virginia, 59-39, which was the fourth touchdown of his Carolina career. And each time he scores, it helps the foundation a little bit more.
Those interested in learning more about the Estes family and possibly donating can do so through LAA.
