Will-To-Live Featured in Red Sox Magazine

  • “In April of 2024,I had the honor of speaking at West Point to faculty, coaches, student cadets, the baseball and lacrosse teams about Life Teammates!  Over the years, I’ve given over 500 presentations about Life Teammates and the power we have to deliver hope to each other, nowhere had this message been so important to me and so wonderfully received by an audience.  I was humbled to share the day with our country’s finest”

  • See article below

John Trautwein – CBS

  • “In my twenty-two years of broadcasting, I have told many stories of triumph over tragedy but the story of Will Trautwein and his family has stayed with me. The loss of such a vibrant young man and the strength of his family to use their heartache to help has had an impact on how I parent my daughter, and how I report stories of teenage depression and suicide.”

    — Stephany Fisher, former Anchor, CBS News, Atlanta

Wrigley Field and The Will to Live

Northwestern University Athletics Recognizes Will To Live at Ohio State vs NU Football at Chicago’s famous Wrigley Field 

  • Will To Live Co-Founder and Northwestern Alumnus, John Trautwein was recognized during the Ohio State Vs Northwestern football game at Wrigley Field on Saturday November 1`6, 2024, with the “A LIFE TOUCHED, A GENERATION CHANGED AWARD” 

EVANSTON, Ill. (November 13, 2024) – The David G. Kabiller NU For Life Program today announced that former Northwestern baseball student-athlete and Major League Baseball pitcher John Trautwein has been selected as the second annual recipient of the ‘A Life Touched, A Generation Changed’ Award. The award was established in 2023 to annually honor one former Wildcats letterwinner for their resounding impact on others through actions and deeds, while serving as an inspiration to their community.

As President and Founder of The Will To Live Foundation, Trautwein runs a non-profit that works with teenagers to help increase their Will To Live and to spread teen suicide awareness in communities across the country. A monetary gift will be awarded to the Northwestern baseball program in honor of Trautwein’s positive impact.

“John is a very deserving recipient of our second annual ‘A Life Touched, A Generation Changed’ Award,” said University Trustee David G. Kabiller ’85, ’87 MBA. “He and his family have turned an unspeakable tragedy into helping individuals and communities across the country. As a fellow former student-athlete who has prioritized giving back to the community that has given me so much, I applaud John and Susie and their family’s work around teen suicide awareness, a topic that is so important today.”

Click here to read the entire press release from Northwestern

 

“Winning this award is such an honor for me.  My Northwestern baseball teammates were instrumental in the creation of our Life Teammates concept and program, so this is very special”

-John Trautwein

John Trautwein – State Farm Presentation 4/13/2017 

In the spring of 2017, John delivered his message of love, support and encouragement to two sizable audiences: the entire State Farm workforce, and the student/athletes of Illinois State University. The presentations were inspiring, educational, and deeply moving. 

In short, John's story and teachings left an immeasurable impact on countless audience members. Subsequently, company and university leadership were flooded with positive feedback, praising them for having the commitment and courage to face the often-neglected topic of mental health. Without question, John's visit to these institutions were clear wins for the company, the university, and the audiences.   

  • Tony Ariola, Retired, Director - Enterprise Research, State Farm Corp.  Also, former teammate of John Trautwein who arranged for John to speak at both ISU and State Farm



    Some Audience Feedback From State Farm Employees

  • I really enjoyed John's encouragement in finding the positive in a negative. He encouraged us to learn from our successes not just the mistakes. And to also find out what you do really well and figure out how to apply that in every area of your life.

  • It was an outstanding presentation, filled with timely and relevant information.

  • Very powerful speaker on a very tough subject.  Want to share this with some of my peers and will watch it again.  Thanks!

  • That was the most powerful message I remember SF sponsoring....and I've been here 37 years!!!

  • Wonderful presentation!  I have young kids and one of them is in middle school and this has made me realize that my husband and I need to make more time for conversations with them and more interactions with how they are doing.  Thank you so much!

Will To Live Foundation The Big Ten Network’s “LiveBIG”

  • LiveBIG is a campaign from the Big Ten Network that recognizes being part of the Big Ten means giving back to our community, in a big way. Many of the qualities that make Big Ten teams successful on the field are the same that help members of the Big Ten community make a difference off the field. Dedication, hard work, putting in the time and working together toward a higher goal are what makes the Big Ten community special.

USA Today On-line Interviews Will To Live

  • USA Today sportwriter, Cam Smith’s informative article on John Trautwein and the creation of the Will To Live Foundation after the suicide death of John’s son, Will back in 2010.

John Trautwein – Fox Sports

  • Ken Rosenthal Honors Will To Live a Second Time – Wears WTL Bow Tie During Red Sox / Yankees Game of The Week

    National Suicide Prevention Week occurs every year in early September, it is a week that finds the foundation very active.  Back in 2013, The Will To Live Foundation, was once again busy spreading awareness that day, as it had been the whole week.

    It’s highly successful WillStock Music Festival kicked the week off on Saturday night the 7th of September in Johns Creek GA (Northview High School) with over 1000 people joining in and enjoying the teenage rock festival. On Saturday the 14th, the foundation helped conclude the week with a “Life Teammate” interview at Fenway Park in Boston.

    Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports Television, once again donned the beautiful and cleverly designed Will To Live Bow Tie while hosting the nationally televised game between the host Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees on Fox Sports Television’s “Baseball Game Of The Week.”

    WTL President John Trautwein along with his son Michael and daughter Holyn, who’s drawing was the basis for the Bow Tie design, accompanied him.

    “The foundation, is again so honored that Ken has chosen us to be a part of his “bow tie cause” again this year” said Trautwein. “The fact that Ken wore “our tie” at Fenway Park, where I was so lucky to have played, and at a game vs. the Yankees, where my own Life Teammate, Joe Girardi is the manager makes it such a wonderful experience for not only the foundation but for me personally. Joe, the Yankees, and the Red Sox have all been great supporters of our cause!”

    Once again the WTL bow tie will be available for purchase!

    Ken Rosenthal wears bow ties every week on behalf of Bow Tie Cause, the non profit organization that has represented charities and nonprofits for several years now in the form of bow ties. You can find out more about Bow Tie Cause by visiting their website at www.bowtiecause.com

Boston Globe Covering Will To Live

CNN Story Covering Will To Live

"The Will to Live Foundation was in its early days when John and Susie Trautwein allowed our CNN team to produce a profile about their son’s suicide.  As a reporter, what struck me most was the Trautweins' clear-eyed, steadfast belief that their family’s unfathomable pain could be put to some productive use, by educating and improving understanding for the rest of us."

  • Julie Peterson, Journalist and Former CNN Reporter

John Trautwein – Summit Counselling

  • Over the past decade, The Summit has been honored to partner with the Will to Live Foundation to raise awareness around youth mental health and suicide prevention.

    John and Susie Trautwein turned unimaginable loss into a mission of hope, reaching students and parents with the powerful message: “It’s OK to not be OK.”

    Thanks to the generosity of the WTL foundation, our staff has received suicide prevention training, our community has benefited from free crisis assessments, and we've empowered trusted adults to support youth in need.

    I’m proud to be a WTL Life Teammate!

    Cathy Murphy

    Director of Administrative Operations

    Summit Counseling Center

John Trautwein – West Point

  • “In April of 2024,I had the honor of speaking at West Point to faculty, coaches, student cadets, the baseball and lacrosse teams about Life Teammates!  Over the years, I’ve given over 500 presentations about Life Teammates and the power we have to deliver hope to each other, nowhere had this message been so important to me and so wonderfully received by an audience.  I was humbled to share the day with our country’s finest”

John Trautwein – Riverside Community Care Gala

  • “John Trautwein is a remarkable speaker who brings passion to his mission of building “Life Teammates” in the fight against teen suicide, depression and stigma.  John shares his son Will’s story to connect with his audience in a way only someone who has lived through unspeakable tragedy can.  And despite the loss of Will, John builds a message of hope and action that engages every individual in the room to make a difference.”

     

    • Vic DiGravio, President & CEO, Riverside Community Care

     

    "Our donors are still talking about John Trautwein’s moving keynote speech at our Annual Gala. His heartfelt message about the importance of community and friendship in reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness struck a deep chord. Weeks later, I hear guests repeating his powerful words: ‘I Love Ya Man.’”

     

    • Melissa Kogut, Vice President of Development, Riverside Community Care

John Trautwein – Wake Forest

  • “John’ compelling message to young people comes from his heart. He has always had a passion for youth and now he combines that passion with a life experience to reach out through the “Will To Live” Foundation. His message to his audiences about loving one another is not only strong and full of impact but it also motivates them to establish caring relationships with their peers.”

    – Ron Wellman – Former Director of Athletics – Wake Forest University

John Trautwein – The Nantucket Project

“To be able to share our story at the theater in the round during the Nantucket Project was truly an unforgettable and rewarding experience.” - John Trautwein