COLUMBUS, Ohio — A central Ohio man is flying to New York to run in the New York City Marathon on a charity team that helps raise money for Movember.
Movember helps raise awareness of men’s mental health as well as suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. The organization has helped fund more than $20 million in mental health initiatives in the United States.
Chad Reynolds has already raised more than $7,500 to go toward the Movember cause and has set an ambitious goal of $15,000.
Reynolds said the cause is dear to him after losing his father to suicide when he was just 13 years old. He said it took about 10 years before he was able to process what happened and begin working to understand how to best care for his own mental health.
“It allowed me to shift from thinking about a lot of negative things to thinking about his life and the positive aspects of his life,” Reynolds said.
Now, Reynolds shares his story hoping to let others know they’re not alone.
“I think sharing the story of my father kind of opens up the door for people to share their own experiences of family members and friends,” Reynolds said.
In his race on Sunday, Reynolds will carry the names of people who were lost to suicide on a piece of paper tucked away in his pocket.
According to research by Movember, in the United States, 78% of poeple who die by suicide are men. It’s the second leading cause of death for men between 15 and 34 years old.
If you would like to help support Chad in Sunday’s marathon, head over to his Movember web page.