The HEARTest Yard Takes Its Message to the Streets of Charlotte
If you’ve been driving through the Charlotte metro area lately and noticed a new billboard raising awareness for children’s heart health, you can thank Greg Olsen, his wife Kara, and a new partnership with Adams Outdoor Advertising. The HEARTest Yard, the nonprofit organization co-founded by the former Carolina Panthers tight end and his family, has launched 10 new billboards across the greater Charlotte region, bringing its powerful message to thousands of commuters and residents every single day.
Reporter Adam Wurtzel sat down with both Greg and Kara Olsen to discuss what this billboard campaign means for the organization and, more importantly, for the families it serves throughout the Carolinas, including those right here in South Charlotte communities like Fort Mill, Indian Land, Waxhaw, Tega Cay, Ballantyne, and Pineville.
What Is The HEARTest Yard?
For those who may be new to the Charlotte area or are just learning about the organization, The HEARTest Yard was founded by Greg and Kara Olsen after their son T.J. was born with a congenital heart defect. The experience of navigating the medical world with a critically ill child inspired the couple to create something meaningful for other families walking that same difficult road.
The HEARTest Yard’s mission centers on three core pillars:
- Supporting families of children diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD)
- Funding research to improve outcomes for children born with heart defects
- Raising awareness so that more people understand the prevalence and impact of CHD in our communities
Congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect in the United States, affecting nearly 1 in 100 newborns. Despite those numbers, it remains one of the lesser-known serious childhood health challenges, which is precisely why visibility campaigns like this one matter so much.
The Adams Outdoor Partnership: 10 Billboards Across Charlotte
The new campaign, made possible through a partnership with Adams Outdoor Advertising, places 10 billboards at key locations across the Charlotte metro. While the specific billboard locations have not all been publicly listed, the goal is clear: put The HEARTest Yard’s message in front of as many Charlotte-area residents as possible.
Adams Outdoor Advertising is one of the largest privately held outdoor advertising companies in the United States, and their decision to partner with The HEARTest Yard speaks to the organization’s strong reputation and deep roots in the Charlotte community. For a nonprofit, earning this kind of partnership with a major advertising company represents a significant milestone in terms of community visibility and credibility.
Greg and Kara Olsen spoke with WCCB Charlotte’s Adam Wurtzel about the campaign, sharing their excitement about reaching new audiences and potentially connecting with families in the Charlotte region who may not yet know that The HEARTest Yard exists as a resource for them.
Why This Matters for South Charlotte Families
For residents of Fort Mill, Indian Land, Waxhaw, Tega Cay, Ballantyne, and Pineville, The HEARTest Yard is more than just a celebrity-backed charity. It is a genuinely local resource that has helped real families from this region navigate one of the most stressful and heartbreaking experiences a parent can face.
South Charlotte is a rapidly growing area, with thousands of new families arriving every year. Many of those families include children who were born with or are later diagnosed with heart conditions. The HEARTest Yard’s work provides financial assistance, emotional support, and community connections that can make an enormous difference during those difficult times.
The billboard campaign is specifically designed to ensure that when a family in the Fort Mill or Indian Land area receives a life-changing diagnosis for their child, they know immediately that there is a local organization ready to stand beside them. That kind of awareness can be genuinely life-changing, not just emotionally, but practically.
How South Charlotte Residents Can Get Involved
There are several ways that residents of South Charlotte communities can support The HEARTest Yard’s mission:
- Donate: Financial contributions go directly toward supporting CHD families and funding research
- Volunteer: The organization regularly hosts events in the Charlotte area that rely on community volunteers
- Spread the word: Simply sharing information about The HEARTest Yard with neighbors and friends can help connect families who need support
- Attend events: The HEARTest Yard hosts fundraising and awareness events throughout the year in the Charlotte region
- Follow on social media: Staying connected online helps amplify the organization’s message
Greg Olsen’s Legacy in Charlotte
Greg Olsen spent the majority of his NFL career with the Carolina Panthers, becoming one of the most beloved players in franchise history. But for many Charlotte-area residents, his work off the field through The HEARTest Yard has cemented his legacy here even more deeply than his accomplishments on it.
Since retiring from professional football, Olsen has transitioned to a career in broadcasting while continuing to champion The HEARTest Yard’s mission alongside Kara. The couple’s willingness to share their own family’s journey with congenital heart disease has helped reduce stigma, raise awareness, and inspire other families to seek help and community.
Kara Olsen has been equally central to the organization’s work, often described as the driving operational force behind the nonprofit’s day-to-day mission. Together, the Olsens have built something that Charlotte can genuinely be proud of, and this new billboard campaign is the latest chapter in that ongoing story.
What to Look For on the Billboards
The 10 new billboards are now on display across the Charlotte metro area. If you are commuting through areas of Charlotte, keep an eye out for The HEARTest Yard messaging on Adams Outdoor advertising structures. The campaign is designed to be visually impactful, drawing attention to the organization’s name, mission, and how community members can connect.
Residents of South Charlotte who travel regularly into the city for work or entertainment are likely to encounter at least one of these billboards. If you spot one, consider snapping a photo and sharing it on social media to help amplify the campaign’s reach even further.
Congenital Heart Disease: The Numbers That Explain the Need
Understanding the scale of congenital heart disease helps put this campaign in context:
- Approximately 40,000 babies are born with a congenital heart defect in the United States every year
- CHD is the number one birth defect in the country
- About 1 in 4 children born with CHD will require surgery or other procedures in their first year of life
- Advances in medical care mean more children with CHD are surviving into adulthood than ever before, creating a growing population of CHD adults who also need support
These numbers underscore why organizations like The HEARTest Yard are so essential. The need is large, the community is real, and the work of raising awareness through campaigns like this billboard partnership directly translates into more families getting the help they need.
A Campaign Rooted in Community
What makes this billboard campaign particularly meaningful is that it is not a national advertising push from a distant organization. This is a Charlotte family, working with a Charlotte advertising company, to reach Charlotte-area residents about a challenge that affects Charlotte-area children every single day.
For South Charlotte communities that have seen explosive growth in recent years, there is something grounding and important about a campaign like this. Amid all the new development, new restaurants, and new subdivisions, The HEARTest Yard billboards are a reminder that the heart of this community, literally and figuratively, matters deeply to the people who have built their lives here.
To learn more about The HEARTest Yard, visit their official website or follow them on social media. And the next time you spot one of those 10 new billboards around Charlotte, you’ll know the full story behind them.
