TV producer Bill Lawrence, New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns and actor Terry Crews make up part of the lineup for two New York City events organized by Project Healthy Minds, which is centered around mental health.
A non-profit that pushes for more open access to mental health care across the country is holding its fourth annual World Mental Health Day Gala on October 8, where it will give out an award to a TV veteran who has spent decades in the business. Lawrence, known for his work on shows like Scrubs, will be honored with the group’s Storyteller of the Year Award. He currently holds the title of executive producer on four current shows: Shrinking, Ted Lasso, Rooster and Bad Monkey.
The gala’s host is Carson Daly, who serves as co-anchor of Today, producer of The Voice, and member of the Project Healthy Minds board of directors.
Towns Talks Grief
On October 10, the companion World Mental Health Day Festival will include Towns, who played a central role in the Knicks’ championship run last season. He will take part in a panel discussion with Boardroom co-founder and CEO Rich Kleiman, titled “Turning Tragedy Into Triumph: New York Knicks Star & NBA Champion Karl-Anthony Towns on Grief, Loss, and High Performance.”.
Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, the mother of Towns, passed away in 2020 from Covid, and her presence weighed heavily on him throughout the Knicks’ title run, a source of motivation he spoke openly about.
Crews on Identity
The panel is called “Who Am I Now: Getting Ready for Change.”, and it will feature crews speaking together. Additional speakers and sessions will be revealed at a later time. Admission to the fifth edition of the festival remains free for everyone.
The two events take place at Spring Studios, located in the Tribeca district of New York.
Experts Join In
The gala and the festival go beyond the celebrity and sports dimensions of the event to feature contributions from specialists in fields such as psychology, fitness, fashion, and mindfulness, along with many other disciplines.
“Mental health is not one issue among many facing modern culture. It’s the thread running through every other question we’re asking about who we are and where we’re going,” Phillip Schermer, Project Healthy Minds Founder and CEO, said in a statement. “You cannot understand this century through its technology, politics, or economics alone. You have to understand its mindset.”
Daly on the Work
The two annual fall events, Daly explained, bring back memories for him “why I keep showing up for this work. The festival and gala have grown into something bigger than an event. They’re proof that when people talk openly about mental health, real change follows.”.
What to Know First
The festival’s full schedule remains incomplete. The gala focuses on Lawrence as Storyteller of the Year, and Towns’ panel centers on grief, loss and high performance.
Key Facts Box
- World Mental Health Day Gala: October 8 at Spring Studios, Tribeca, NY
- World Mental Health Day Festival: October 10 at Spring Studios, Tribeca, NY
- Confirmed participants: Bill Lawrence, Karl-Anthony Towns, Terry Crews, Rich Kleiman (as panelist with Towns)
- Event cost: Free to the public
- Gala host: Carson Daly
- Festival format: Panels, expert sessions, to be announced
Schedule Table
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Gala | October 8 | Spring Studios, Tribeca |
| Festival | October 10 | Spring Studios, Tribeca |
Both events are free to attend.
Our View
A TV executive who built his career on comedy joins forces with a basketball star whose championship season was defined by grief, creating an evening that balances light-hearted entertainment with something more meaningful.
The structure of the festival, which includes panels and expert sessions, allows for further announcements to be made closer to the event itself. Since Daly is hosting the gala and Towns is appearing on a panel discussing grief, the two-day schedule appears likely to achieve the organization’s aim of putting mental health into open conversation.
Anyone tracking the Knicks or following Towns himself gets a chance to hear him speak about his loss on the panel.
Source material: “Project Healthy Minds’ Mental Health Events To Feature Bill Lawrence, New York Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns, Terry Crews & More,” Deadline.
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