Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Breaking Shame and Stigma; A Race for Mental Health and Suicide Awareness
Tyler Vanderheiden was an avid outdoorsman.
Nebraska counties that have participated either in-person or virtually. The family has a goal of every county being represented.
According to his mom, even from a young age, Tyler simply loved people. No matter where he would go, he couldn't leave without having met new friends. He especially loved the elderly, and he shared a special bond with them.
Tyler was a student at North Platte High School, where he was a member of band, choir, football, and track. It was on the track team that he discovered his love of running.
On the inside, he was hiding his struggle with his mental health. His sadness, fears, anxiety, and hopelessness were hidden from those who loved him the most for reasons known only to him.
He was only 20 years old when he passed, leaving behind a stunned circle of loved ones who had to somehow deal with this new darkness, a life without him in it. But Tyler was not one for darkness, rather, he embraced the light and vast openness of the great outdoors. He shared with those around him how he felt closer to God when he was outside. Often out on a hiking or camping adventure, he would return with a huge smile and a quick story that began with, "You'll never guess what happened."
So in honor of their son, brother, and friend, the Tyler Vanderheiden family, together with the Platte River Fitness Series and the Nebraska Game and Parks, presents the Annual Tyler Vanderheiden Memorial 2 Mile & 5 Mile Road Run - an endeavor to make trails, open space, and nature more available and accessible to anyone. People may take part in the actual run itself, or sign up to run virtually. The ultimate goal is to have every county in Nebraska participate, and they are well on their way, according to
the map graphic below.
The in-person run will be held on May 25, 2024, at Cody Park in North Platte, NE, beginning at 8 am. The virtual run is available any time to anyone from May 24 until May 26th.
Their virtual run has seen participants from as far away as Dubai and Australia.
All proceeds from the race will continue to go to the Nebraska Game and Parks for the creation, maintenance, or upgrade of trails and open space within the Nebraska State Park system. Tyler felt most at home in nature and these funds will allow all Nebraskans to benefit from his passion and love of the outdoors. To learn more about how Nebraska parks will benefit from this partnership or to sign up for the in-person run, please visit https://outdoornebraska.gov/memorialrun/.
To register and sign up for the virtual run, please visit http://www.tylervanderheidenmemorial.com/virtual-race-registration.
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