September was Suicide Prevention month, a time to bring attention to the national crisis that has become the 11th leading cause of death in the US & the 3rd leading cause for 14-30 year olds (NAMI).
A cause extremely close to my heart.
Myself and 2 friends (Kevin Cotter & Mikayla Glover) recently started a running group, Running for the High of it, in the wake of losing my brother as a way to encourage movement to benefit mental health. Last weekend we hosted our first 5k that brought together 180 amazing community members in Boise, Idaho and raised over $3,500 for suicide prevention efforts. We connected those in attendance to online resources (NoStigmas) & local in person help (Azure Stone Mental Health & Wellness).
As I move through my career in the CPG space, I continue to be amazed at the small but supportive community.
A very special thank you to my friends and generous sponsors at:
happy? for providing every runner a 4-pack of their amazing cold brew cans
Honey Stinger for providing every runner waffles or chews
Vita Coco for donating $ and providing waters for all runners
Instead of a medal at the finish, we handed out reusable canvas totes filled with the donated items. From the 17 to the 78 year old runner- everyone was so excited about the free goodies. The totes have a simple message on them, one we hope every runner/walker believes- “pace:forward” in life and in running, the best pace is forward. One step at a time.
I wanted to give these brands a deserved shoutout for the good they are doing behind closed doors. Your contributions made a significant impact.
It’s inspiring to see how we can come together for such a vital issue. Let’s continue to raise awareness and support each other in our community- our pace is forward.
