'Wear it for Berrett' brings life-saving mission to Anaconda

Berrett Crossley wasn’t your stereotypical teenager. Yes, he enjoyed similar activities that most 13-year-old boys do, including spending time recreating with his buddies at skateparks. He dreamed of being a professional skateboarder and attacked this dream with the fervor of a teenager with a burning passion. He was convinced it would pave the golden road to his dreams and future success and spent every moment he could practicing.

On March 2, 2021 it was an ordinary day where Berrett was attempting a new trick when he wrecked and hit his head on the cement at a skatepark, causing a subdural hematoma. Four days later the bleed on his brain would claim his young life, leaving his family drowning in the unthinkable tragedy that accompanies losing a child, especially so unexpectedly.

You see, Berrett wasn’t wearing a helmet. A seemingly simple mistake that could have very well saved his life. His family, on a mission to save future lives and educate kids and parents alike, created the nonprofit organization, “Wear it for Berrett.” 

“He was hilarious. He was the wittiest kid I think I ever met in my life … he was constantly making you laugh. When people ask me about him that’s the first thing I think, you could have constant banter with this kid.” explained the organization’s president and Berrett’s aunt, Lacie Stone, who lives in Anaconda. 

“Berrett was a kid who was constantly walking around with a notebook. He was always drawing. He was really good at drawing,” Stone said.

He had approached a family member who builds web designs and asked for help. In no time, Berrett had created a logo of an astronaut and called his brand Space Kadet. Sadly, however, on that spring day Berrett’s dream was cut short.

After the accident he had gotten up and everyone had assumed it was a concussion. However, Berrett had suffered from a “honeymoon brain bleed,” which is exactly what it sounds like: A slow bleed in the brain that goes undetected until it advances to a subdural hematoma. For Berrett the hematoma burst two days later. 

“Had he been wearing his helmet he would not have sustained that brain injury. This part to us is important – it’s dark, but it’s important. It’s important because a 13-year-old boy doesn’t think a helmet looks cool. I have said to every kid that has approached me, with as much emotion as I can muster, I say there is something so much more uncool than a helmet and that’s a brain injury. And it’s standing over that little boy for days watching him die, because that’s what we did. It was horrific and I hope nobody ever has to go through that,” Stone said, fighting back tears. “It could have been prevented. Berrett wasn’t actually doing anything that cool on a skateboard. He was just on it and it slipped out from under him and he hit his head on the concrete.” 

“Wear it for Berrett’s mission is to create safer families, one helmet at a time. We translate educational resources to create awareness about helmet safety and brain injury prevention. Through partnerships and donations, we ensure everyone can have access to helmets, whether they can afford them or not,” their website, wearitforberrett.org, explained.

The organization will be holding a Free Kids’ Day party at Benny Goodman Skatepark on Saturday, Sept. 9 from noon to 3 p.m. The event is entirely free and includes a barbeque, t-shirt giveaway and a raffle to win a skateboard or scooter. Don’t forget your helmet, and if you don’t have one, they will be providing them for free. They got the idea for the event last April while celebrating Berrett’s 16th birthday. 

“We had this idea of going to the skatepark and having a barbeque and sort of a birthday party and it filled us so much that we were like, oh my gosh, this is what we need to be doing,” Stone said.

The Free Kids’ Day is their opportunity to give back to the community. Whereas they’ve traveled the state diligently fundraising, they wanted to utilize some of those funds for a special and completely free event for the kids. You can expect fun and games, but their message rests at the forefront to ensure the safety of every child by wearing a helmet.

“It’s so important because it damn well is. Because it would save your life. It would’ve saved Berrette’s life. It’s what drives our organization every single day to know that Berrett’s death was preventable. It didn’t have to be that way, it doesn’t have to be this way. So that’s why we do what we do. We call it Berrett’s mission,” Stone said.

And word is getting out. Stone said she often sees kids sporting “Wear it for Berrett” merch, but while the message is definitely there, it’s unclear whether it’s sinking in.

“I saw this kid and he was riding down my sidewalk and he was wearing a Wear it for Berrett shirt, and I smile, and he’s not wearing a helmet. I was talking with [Pearl Jam bassist and Montana native] Jeff Ament and we were talking about it and he said 'Lacie, I’m a [expletive] rockstar and I tell these kids to wear a helmet and I see them on the ground when I leave. So why don’t you keep doing what you’re doing and you tell me,” she laughed.

Presently, there is no helmet law in Montana. Stone explained that it was mostly due to enforceability, so for the time being their organization has been heavily invested in flooding communities with information. They have placed informational materials in doctors' offices and local hospitals where healthcare professionals use the materials to inform kids and parents about helmet safety. 

“So Berrett’s life and death is a very big part of what we do because we do nothing without explaining how and why he passed,” Stone said.

In other words, albeit posthumously, Berrett is continuing to do exceptional work.

“He’s still out there saving so many lives,” she said.

For more information, including how to donate, visit wearitforberrett.org.