BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – As LSU\u2019s Tiger Marching Band prepares for another highly anticipated football season, its members are also being reminded of something more important than what happens on the field: taking care of their mental health.<\/p>\n
That message is rooted in one family\u2019s personal tragedy and its mission to make sure other students have access to the help they need.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe would be very proud of us for doing this. He would,\u201d Gerald Bahlinger said.<\/p>\n
Matt Bahlinger was a member of the Tiger Band before he died by suicide in 2022 at age 24.<\/p>\n
Since then, his parents, Gerald and Alice Bahlinger, along with dozens of volunteers, have worked to turn their loss into something positive through the Matthew Bahlinger Memorial Fund.<\/p>\n
Every year since his death, the nonprofit and multiple donors sponsor Matt\u2019s Dinner, an event for Tiger Band members designed to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention while reminding students that it is OK to ask for help.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe took this tragedy and we turned it into something positive,\u201d Gerald Bahlinger said.<\/p>\n
The family\u2019s efforts have also helped LSU provide dedicated mental health resources to students in the College of Music and Dramatic Arts and Tiger Band.<\/p>\n
LSU introduced Sharae Vicknair as the embedded clinician for Tiger Band and College of Music and Dramatic Arts students in fall 2025. The position provides students with dedicated mental health support on campus. The Matthew Bahlinger Memorial Fund helps fund the service.<\/p>\n
Former Tiger Band member and volunteer George Wilson said he hopes students will take advantage of the resource when they need it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely hope so,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cI hope that people that need the help they can take the step to reach out and get it.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information about the fund, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Click here<\/a> to report a typo. Please include the headline.<\/p>\n