A Ride for Wyatt

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Losing a loved one is one of the most grueling challenges anyone can ever face. No matter the circumstance, a change as grievous as this one can flip a person's life around, making it challenging to do anything without feeling lost and without a light in your life. Matthew Coy was one of the unfortunate people who had to go through this change after losing his 18-year-old son, Wyatt Coy, to suicide. As the website dedicated to him states, Wyatt was a loving, compassionate, and funny kid. He lit up a room with his smile and always had the best belly laugh. In never hesitating to be vulnerable with others and helping whenever possible, Wyatt became the sunshine in many people's lives. Unfortunately, he was not often able to find his own light. As Matthew related, the months following this significant turn in his life came with plenty of struggle.

"In the darkest days after his death, I asked a trusted friend, 'What am I supposed to do now?' After a thoughtful pause, he responded, 'It seems the only thing to do is... make something out of it.'

Knowing that Wyatt liked to snowmobile, another of his acquaintances proposed the idea of a memorial ride. At first, Matthew expressed his sentiments of doing something similar but lacked the "emotional horsepower" to pull it off. "In truth, I was scared that people wouldn't care, and that wasn't something I could handle." After enough discussion and persuasion from his friend, the two had established solid ideas for a route, food, music, and activities, demanding the need to create a planning committee. As this process continued and things started to take shape, the idea for a silent auction came into discussion. Understandably, the possibility came with plenty of hesitation and a valid question: where would these potential funds go? The subsequent idea of a scholarship piqued many committee members' interest, but they soon realized nobody knew the first thing about starting one.

Matthew: "We reached out to several folks in the community who host and sponsor scholarship programs, and the common theme of their responses was to administer it under a local foundation. Doing so would allow us to focus on our duties while they handled all the legal, financial, and reporting details."

Once the Rochester Area Foundation was on board with their idea, the group created the Wyatt Coy Memorial Scholarship, an endowed fund whose proceeds would finance scholarships given to those pursuing a career in mental health issues. Any undergraduate or graduate student living or attending high school in the Zumbro Education District would be eligible, helping to create awareness and reduce the mental health stigma. Their concerns about raising enough proceeds to establish it became disproven when the first year of the "Ride for Wyatt" fundraiser doubled the minimum investment required. Now, over six years later, Matthew and his committee's efforts continue what they set out to do with each annual ride: make something out of it. With the help of the scholarship and fundraiser, they have raised considerable awareness for suicide prevention, giving students the funding they need to "close the gap between the demand for mental health services and the grossly inadequate supply of professionals."

This year's family-friendly Ride for Wyatt will be a 30-mile loop starting and ending at Riverside Park in Mantorville. While this shorter route is the event's official one, snowmobilers looking to make the most of their time will be pleased to know of optional, longer loops. During the snowmobiling portion of the event, non-riders can partake in activities, such as a silent auction, games, and bingo at the Mantorville Saloon. Activities won't stop there, though, as the popular Bloody Mary Bar, chili supper, and live music will commence once riders return from their joyride. While a lack of snow somewhat hindered last year's ride, it did not limit the event's wide-ranging success and impact, a lesson they hope to carry on to future rides. Although Matthew is hopeful the weather fares better when February 8th rolls around, there are still plenty of things to do, people to see, and friendships to foster with or without snow.

"Our format is mostly the same as previous years, though we have the added possibility of a special guest. Professional SnoCross racer Cody Lucas from Flint, Michigan, is planning to attend, and our current plans are to display some of his professional race machines there. We're super excited about this and honored that Mr. Lucas has reached out to come. His national visibility will help raise awareness for suicide prevention and support our efforts to remind us that it's OK to not be OK!"

When asked how the Ride for Wyatt fundraiser impacted Matthew's life, he responded with the following words:

"It's difficult to describe how much our lives have changed since then. On a personal level, I will say that Wyatt's death was the single most impactful event in our lives. Its effect is evident every day in one form or another. This journey of life can feel lonely and dark at times, and it's easy to get stuck in those ruts. But with the help of this event and the related support from the community, I would say that we have received the comforting reminder that people haven't forgotten my boy- that they care, and that they want to help. The Ride for Wyatt helps to honor, in death, how Wyatt lived his life: by helping others. Creating a space where he can continue to do so allows his legacy to live on.”

As Matthew's contributions to mental health awareness help demonstrate, the simple phrase "It's OK to not be OK" can go to incredible lengths in our darkest moments when everything seems to be dim. Sometimes, we need a reminder that the greatest means of support we can provide isn't a donation or other contribution. It's our words.

If you'd like to support or come to this year's Ride for Wyatt at 1:00 p.m., February 8th, 2025, please visit ride-for-wyatt.square.site for more information regarding the event, scholarship, and purchasable merchandise and swag.