tuscaloosa, alabama

Where the Fight Took Its First Step Forward

Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where this movement proved it could grow.

Back in 2023, Christopher Kollme, Ebbie Stuttsm, and Bella Collins rallied a group of students in the heart of Alabama for what became our very first expansion campus. The goal was simple: carry the mission beyond Athens.

But what happened that night was anything but ordinary. A packed crowd. A campus buzzing with energy. Students stepping into leadership. Families leaning in. And a whole community standing up to fight something most folks are still scared to say out loud: suicide.

That first event in Tuscaloosa was a spark — and it lit the path for what would become TFAS Wellness Weeks across the South.