BATON ROUGE - A powerful event aimed at addressing mental health awareness and the dangers of fentanyl and drug overdoses is happening Wednesday evening at the Renaissance Hotel.

The Huddle Up for Hope event will feature CBS' The NFL Today sportscaster James "JB" Brown as its host.

Over 500 attendees have registered for the event, but the fun did not start there.

Wednesday morning, current and former NFL and MLB players visited area schools to host Hope Rallies where they shared the same messages about mental health and drug awareness with students.

"Things happen but when we make sure that our minds... are strong, whatever comes our way we will be able to handle it better," organizer Tonja Myles said.

The highlight of the event is the Force Multiplier Award, which will be given to individuals who have made an impact in the fight against mental health stigma and drug abuse prevention. More details on the honorees will be revealed later in the evening.

Seating for the event is no longer available for the event. The event's dinner starts at 5 p.m. and the reception starts at 6 p.m.