Blue & You Foundation turns silver
- July 9, 2026
Granting organization celebrates 25 years of helping make Arkansas healthier
This year, the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas celebrates 25 years of investing to help make communities across Arkansas healthier. This milestone anniversary is designed not only to honor past impact but to strengthen partnerships, elevate community voices and inform the future of philanthropy in our state.
During this celebration, the Blue & You Foundation is working to highlight lives that have been changed through grant-funded work and celebrate the people and organizations behind those successes.
“As we celebrate 25 years of the Blue & You Foundation, we are proud of the partnerships, innovation and community-driven solutions that have helped improve the health of Arkansans across our state. This milestone is not just a reflection of what has been accomplished, but a testament to the dedication of the nonprofits, schools, healthcare organizations and community leaders who have worked alongside us to create healthier communities.”
– Rebecca Pittillo, president of the Blue & You Foundation
25 Weeks of Gratitude
The 25 Weeks of Gratitude stories began May 25 and will continue through early November on the Blue & You Foundation’s website, on social media and highlighted here in Blueprint magazine.
See below for more in our 25 Weeks of Gratitude series.
Ezell Breedlove and Tammi Upshaw
Survey and Regional Roundtable Tour
The Blue & You Foundation is conducting a statewide survey of community-based organizations, schools, and other philanthropic organizations to help inform the future of giving in Arkansas. They will also hold a Regional Roundtable Tour to engage with survey respondents to and learn more about their perspectives and challenges. Results will be shared in a press release in late September.
Strike Out Stigma
During the month of May, in honor of both the Blue & You Foundation’s 25th anniversary and Mental Health Awareness Month, the Blue & You Foundation held a Strike Out Stigma campaign. For every strikeout recorded by Northwest Arkansas Naturals and Arkansas Travelers pitchers during May home games, the Blue & You Foundation made a $50 donation to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Arkansas Chapter.
The campaign concluded with Northwest Arkansas Naturals pitchers recording 120 strikeouts and Arkansas Travelers pitchers recording 123 strikeouts, for a combined total of 243 strikeouts and $12,150 to support mental health awareness and suicide prevention efforts throughout Arkansas.
Through all these 25th anniversary events and celebrations, the Blue & You Foundation also will be increasing awareness of the services provided by the organizations it supports and its own health-promoting philanthropic work.
“While we are proud of our history, we are energized about the future,” Rebecca said. “Through listening to our partners, engaging communities and identifying emerging health needs, we are committed to ensuring the Blue & You Foundation continues to be a catalyst for meaningful change. Our goal is to build on the lessons of the past 25 years while investing in innovative approaches that help every Arkansan have the opportunity to live a healthier life.”
Strike Out Stigma Scorecard
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$50 donated for every home strikeout recorded in May
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Arkansas Travelers: 123 strikeouts
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Northwest Arkansas Naturals: 120 strikeouts
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Total strikeouts: 243
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Total amount donated: $12,150
A Sense of Gratitude
Candice Christman, Chase and Jennifer Hobbs are just three of the more than two dozen people being featured in the 25 Weeks of Gratitude series.
Candice Christman formerly struggled with substance abuse. Now she is employed by the Wolfe Street Foundation as a peer support specialist to help people who have those same issues. “I had never even heard of peer support specialists,” she said. “Peer support was someone whose history looked like mine – a little blotchy. There’s something so powerful about someone saying, ‘how can I help you?’ ”
You can read more of her story here.
Chase, 21, had been in and out of the foster care system for most of his life. At the end of May, he was looking forward to soon moving into his own apartment for the first time. “It’s all a big turnaround from where I was before Immerse Arkansas began helping me,” he said. “If they hadn’t, I’m sure I’d still be struggling now.”
Read more of his story here.
After devoting almost a decade of care to Wayne, her husband of 47 years, Jennifer Hobbs determined it was best for his health and her own to move him to a memory care center close to their longtime home in Conway. “Being a caregiver is very different when it’s your spouse. You are losing the person who has been your partner, your closest friend. You really are losing a part of yourself.”
Read more of her story here.
