Discover Kentucky’s New License Plates: Celebrating the Mental Health Flag and Promoting Hope

LOUISVILLE, KY — The Kentucky community is uniting for a significant cause, inspired by the memory of a young man who left this world too soon.

Keep an eye out for a green license plate as you drive through the Tri-State area. You can get one for yourself, too!

“We began creating the Mental Health flag in 2019, which took about a year to finalize. We partnered with local mental health agencies, artists, and schools,” said Molly Jones.

Molly is the CEO of the Pete Foundation for Depression Prevention, and she’s also the mother of Pete Jones.

Molly reflects on Pete, her son who was an identical twin and a vibrant young man. Sadly, he battled depression and lost his life to suicide at just 23 years old.

“Pete sought help and shared his feelings with us. His loss shocked our family completely. If it could happen to us, it could happen to anyone,” Jones shared.

The Jones family is now dedicated to raising awareness about mental health. They host community events, create educational materials, and support research initiatives from their home in Louisville.

“We want to focus on helping young people. By doing this, we can create lasting change. We’ve even started a music festival to bring everyone together and share resources on seeking help,” Jones explained.

The new license plates feature the Mental Health flag, which symbolizes hope and renewal. The design represents a sunrise, moving from darkness to light.

“These colors reflect our emotional journey. We hope that seeing these plates will make others feel acknowledged and understood,” Jones added.

The plates are available for $44, with $10 going directly to The Pete Foundation.

“That $10 helps us provide QPR training, which stands for Question, Persuade, Refer. It’s like CPR for mental health crises and only takes about 60 to 90 minutes to complete,” said Jones.