Washington Athletics And Premera Blue Cross Partner On REFRESHER Challenge For Mental Health Awareness
May 01, 2026 | Sports Medicine, Dawgs Unleashed
SEATTLE – May is Mental Health Awareness Month and UW Athletics and Premera Blue Cross have teamed up for a unique, month-long social media campaign to promote mental health.
The REFRESHER Challenge will feature three teams comprised of seven or eight Husky athletics programs competing for a prize. Premera Blue Cross has provided the prize in addition to directly supporting six Husky student-athletes who were selected as team captains as part of an athlete partnership.
The acronym R.E.F.R.E.S.H.E.R. is a menu of activities that has been shown through research to contribute to mental health. The activities, created by UW Student-Athlete Wellness Services Coordinator Dr. Polo DeCano, include:
Relationships
Exercise
Fun
Relaxation & Stress Management
Eating well
Sufficient sleep
Helping others
Earth
Reason
"The REFRESHER Challenge is an opportunity for the UW athletic department and Husky student-athletes to do their part for Mental Health Awareness Month," Dr. DeCano said. "All of the REFRESHERs are non-pharmaceutical and can be accessed in our day-to-day lives. We are fortunate and grateful to partner with Premera Blue Cross, who is contributing resources to local non-profits."
Throughout the month of May, the Huskies will share their REFRESHER activities on social media and will earn their team points when they accept a challenge, complete a REFRESHER and challenge other student-athletes. The winning team will receive a grand prize, provided by Premera Blue Cross, which will support a mental health care organization of the team's choosing.
This partnership was facilitated by Huskies Sports Properties in conjunction with Dawgs Unleashed. For more information on student-athlete partnerships, visit dawgs-unleashed.com.
Follow @UWAthletics and @UW_HuskiesMentalHealth on social media to track the challenge and discover tips on mental wellbeing.
The REFRESHER Challenge will feature three teams comprised of seven or eight Husky athletics programs competing for a prize. Premera Blue Cross has provided the prize in addition to directly supporting six Husky student-athletes who were selected as team captains as part of an athlete partnership.
The acronym R.E.F.R.E.S.H.E.R. is a menu of activities that has been shown through research to contribute to mental health. The activities, created by UW Student-Athlete Wellness Services Coordinator Dr. Polo DeCano, include:
Relationships
Exercise
Fun
Relaxation & Stress Management
Eating well
Sufficient sleep
Helping others
Earth
Reason
"The REFRESHER Challenge is an opportunity for the UW athletic department and Husky student-athletes to do their part for Mental Health Awareness Month," Dr. DeCano said. "All of the REFRESHERs are non-pharmaceutical and can be accessed in our day-to-day lives. We are fortunate and grateful to partner with Premera Blue Cross, who is contributing resources to local non-profits."
Throughout the month of May, the Huskies will share their REFRESHER activities on social media and will earn their team points when they accept a challenge, complete a REFRESHER and challenge other student-athletes. The winning team will receive a grand prize, provided by Premera Blue Cross, which will support a mental health care organization of the team's choosing.
This partnership was facilitated by Huskies Sports Properties in conjunction with Dawgs Unleashed. For more information on student-athlete partnerships, visit dawgs-unleashed.com.
Follow @UWAthletics and @UW_HuskiesMentalHealth on social media to track the challenge and discover tips on mental wellbeing.
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