Our Story
Created in loving memory of Tanner Faircloth, a beloved son, grandson, brother, boyfriend, nephew, cousin, and friend.
Tanner passed away in September of 2023 after a long, hard-fought battle with bipolar disorder. He was a patient at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital for a month on two separate occasions. Most patients admitted to psychiatric hospitals are not allowed to wear clothing or shoes with zippers, strings, hoods, or wires during their admission due to safety concerns. Because of this, patients often have to wear hospital gowns and/ or slipper socks, even when attending group therapy sessions, activities, and walking the halls of the units.
Tanner loved to wear Crocs and crewneck sweatshirts, so we were lucky that he was allowed to wear those. During one of his admissions, he kindly gave another patient his extra Crocs because that patient didn’t have any shoes with him that fit the safety restrictions.
Because of this, we decided our first project to honor Tanner’s kindness would be to donate new Crocs and crewneck sweatshirts to the inpatients of UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital. These essential items not only provide comfort and dignity while they are in the hospital, they let the patients know that someone cares about them.
Our first patient delivery was on September 6, 2024. Things went so well that the staff asked if we could add wireless sports bras to our donations. We added those on February 3, 2025. UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital staff can now order a new pair of Crocs, a crewneck sweatshirt, &/or a sports bra for any inpatient that needs them.
As of January of 2026, our organization has donated over 2000 of these essential items to patients at UPMC Western since we started in September of 2024. These items have been received so well by the patients and staff. We have been given numerous notes of appreciation, and it fills our hearts to hear this wonderful feedback! We feel privileged to be a part of this and are so happy that everything is working out well for the patients.
Event Timeline
October 2023: Met with the president of UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital to start the conversation of us helping the inpatients with donations of Crocs shoes. After meeting, a hospital-wide survey was sent out to the UPMC Western staff to assess the needs of the patients. It was decided that Crocs shoes and crewneck sweatshirts both had a very high need on the units because the patients don't often have clothing and shoes with them that fit the safety restrictions.
November 2023: The UPMC Western Safety Committee met and approved a specific type of Crocs (Crocks on the Clock Work Shoe) and our March Fourth crewneck sweatshirts (no thumb holes) to pilot on the units.
January 2024: Finalized the March Fourth Logo and March Fourth received it's official 501(c)(3) status!
March 2024: We opened the March Fourth Non-Profit Business Bank Account through PNC Bank.
April 2024: We were featured in our first Mon Valley Independent newspaper article and had our first Primanti's Fundraiser.
May2024: We organized a Boston PA Hike for Hope American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) fundraiser and had a March Fourth information table there.
July 2024: Started our March Fourth Merch (T-Shirt and Crewneck Sweatshirt) Sales/ Fundraiser.
September 2024: Our first inpatient donations (in custom paper bags) of Crocs to all of the patients on the first inpatient unit that Tanner was admitted and crewneck sweatshirts to all of the patients on the 2nd inpatient unit that Tanner was admitted.
We were featured in our second Mon Valley Independent newspaper article and in the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Townhall meeting.
October 2024: Our March Fourth Informational Brochure was created.
November 2024: We had our second Primanti's Fundraiser.
December 2024: We spoke at the UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Holiday’s from the Heart Event. We added approximately 300 journals to the inpatient holiday gift bags and approximately 150 bracelets to the residential facility holiday gift bags, both containing the national 988 suicide/ crisis line information. The journals were requested for patients to use during group therapy sessions and can also be used during downtime for patients to doodle or write out their thoughts.
December 2024: Classic style Crocs (and off-brand clogs) were approved by the UPMC Western safety committee as long as the straps were removed for safety reasons.
January 2025: March Fourth received it's PA sales tax exemption certificate!
February 2025: We added wire-free sports bras to our donation list for UPMC Western inpatients at the request of the hospital staff as a need the patients had. UPMC Western also gave us locked cabinets on-site to store our items and created an online request system for staff on all inpatient units, hospital-wide, to order items for any patient that needs them (up to 1 of each item).
February 2025: We were featured in our third Mon Valley Independent newspaper article.
March 2025:
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We were featured in a UPMC Western Making Minds Magazine Article.
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We spoke at Fotofixation Photography’s Teen Mental Health Awareness Event, the University of Pittsburgh Pharmacy School Mental Health Presentation, and Elizabeth Forward High School’s AFSP Mental Health Awareness Event (800 high school kids) about not suffering in silence. Gave each student a March Fourth Bracelet with the 988 information.
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We attended the University of Pittsburgh AFSP Campus Walk as a team.
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Bethel Park's Ruthfred Lutheran Church held a stewardship project fundraiser for March Fourth (organized by our secretary, Jill Huwe).
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Allegheny County Gaming License approved for our Post Malone Concert Ticket Basket Raffle Fundraiser (concert in May, 2025).
April 2025: The EFHS student run Ish Company donates to March Fourth – approximately 300 crewneck sweatshirts (with "you matter" on the front and the 988 info in the cuff of the sleeves) and a $1000 donation.
We were featured with the Ish Company in our fourth Mon Valley Independent newspaper article.
April 2025: Donated a March Fourth Basket for UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital's Employee Recognition Week.
May 2025: We added youth sized crewneck sweatshirts and youth sports bras for the child and adolescent inpatient units at UPMC Western.
August 2025: March fourth was added as a Contributor’s Choice Organization through the United Way (our code number 20635991 for employee directed United Way donations)!
September 2025: We attended the Pittsburgh AFSP community walk as a team and had a March Fourth information table at the event to spread the word about our non-profit and about mental health awareness.
September 2025: Falcon's Gymnastics Team held a fundraiser for March Fourth through their snack bar.
October 2025: We donated 50 March Fourth journals and bracelets with the 988 information to the outpatient STEP clinic (Services for the Treatment of Early Psychosis) that Tanner used to attend. The therapists said the journals would be very helpful to the patients during and in between therapy and MD appointments.
November 2025:
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We met up with the students of the EFHS Ish company and a representative of the UPMC Western Behavioral Health Foundation to write of an article for the Making Minds Matter Magazine.
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Dick's Sporting Goods donated a $500 gift card which helped us purchase 20 pairs of Crocs for patients.
December 2025: We spoke with the Gaster Girls from The Mental Funny Bone Podcast at Elizabeth Forward High School (to approximately 800 high school students) about the impact that mental health has had on us and our families.
On Various Occasions: We received Thank You Notes from Patients and Staff of UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital for the items that we have donated to them.
From September 6, 2024 through December 29, 2025, we have donated a total of approximately 2174 items to UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Inpatients:
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Approximately 844 pairs of Crocs
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Approximately 1095 Crewneck Sweatshirts
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Approximately 235 Sports Bras
February 2026: Our March Fourth Website was created and activated!
March 2026:
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We were featured in our fourth Mon Valley Independent newspaper article: https://www.monvalleyindependent.com/2026/03/04/march-fourth-fundraiser-helps-nonprofit-continue-its-work/
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We had Tanner's Birthday Party Dine to Donate Fundraiser at Primanti Bros. on March 4, 2026