We will not be running a #MashForMicah challenge this year. Here’s why.

We’ve been fielding several questions about whether or not we’ll be coordinating (alongside the wonderful Joe Gagnon, the originator of last year’s fundraiser), another #MashForMicah challenge this year. Last year’s #MashForMicah challenge resulted in over $50,000 being donated in Micah’s name.

It was incredible, inspiring, and uplifting to see the TCU community, and people beyond, rally together in support of a beloved child. So we’ve thought a lot about whether to do another iteration of it this season.

In the end, we decided against it. Here’s why.

Last year’s movement was an unplanned, spontaneous outpouring of love that began with a single tweet. In addition to that outpouring of love and affection for Micah, one unintentional consequence was that it drew attention to a family that may have preferred to grieve in private.

A lot of people, most importantly the Ahern family, have had to grieve and heal somewhat publicly, because of Micah’s closeness with the TCU baseball family. I felt, along with Joe, that it is time to allow them, and the guys on the team who knew Micah, and still know the rest of the family, to heal without the hashtags and the blog posts serving as a constant reminder of the loss they have endured.

We know that some folks will be continuing to make personal donations to both Micah’s TCU baseball scholarship fund and the Superhero Micah Foundation, and we encourage you to consider doing the same.

This isn’t us moving on from Micah. We will always remember his Superhero impact on the TCU family. We will continue to love his family and friends.

And we will remember to Never Ever Give Up.