The Hope for Depression Research Foundation held their inaugural Teen Race of Hope, uniting more than 275 teens and their family members, friends and teachers. The goal was to raise awareness about the crisis in youth mental health in the U.S. and fight the stigma that surrounds mental health.
The Co-Grand Marshals for the Race were Grier Henchy, the 16-year-old daughter of Brooke Shields, and Hayden Lucas, who was one of the creators of the event. Soul Cycle’s Stacey Griffith, mental health advocate and social media influencer, spun her signature playlist as DJ for the race.
The Race raised $35,000 and marked HDRF’s first Race of Hope in New York City and the first one to be youth focused.
Soul Cycle’s Stacey Griffith, mental health advocate and social media influencer, spun her signature playlist as DJ for the race. The music reinforced the energy of the crowd as they waited for the Race to begin against the backdrop of New York Harbor, downtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty.
Grier Henchy said: “Today is all about the message of hope and how we can make it safe to talk about mental health. It’s really important for every teen to know it is okay to not be okay – and to reach out for help.”
Hayden Lucas, who also served as the Chief Student Ambassador for the Race, is a junior at Dwight High School. He came to HDRF with the idea of a Teen Race after he had run in a recent Race of Hope in Southampton, NY.
Lucas said: “HDRF has supported the idea of the Teen Race from the beginning. Thanks to them we are able to run here today to spread awareness and work towards ending the stigma about mental health.”