SCRANTON, Pa. — On August 3rd, 2016, Katie Marie Shoener lost her battle with bipolar disorder to suicide.
Still, nine years later, her family and friends are fulfilling what they believe was her one last wish with the 5Kate run every year. Nicole Lynch is a board member of Katie's Foundation and is one of Katie's best friends.
"When she passed, she left a statement behind that said, "Start a movement." So we started a movement in her memory shining a light on mental illness, raising awareness, and getting people to talk about it more," Lynch says.
Shoener and Lynch met when they attended Penn State. Lynch says 1 in 5 people have a mental illness, and many do so quietly. She hopes the 5Kate run, which has turned into a full-blown event offering mental health resources, helps fight the negative stigma around those who struggle with mental health issues.
Katie's sister-in-law, Sarah Shoener, says they chose to hold the run in October because Katie's birthday is on Halloween.
Sarah says, "Creating this awareness for everyone, you know, of course, we would take Katie back in a heartbeat, but if it had to be this way, we're so thankful that we've been able to create this for the community."
Many runners, like lead runner Tim Nowakowski, come not only for the run but for the cause.
"I enjoy running. I look forward to 5ks and 10ks, but also, we all know someone with mental illness. To spread the word, get information out there, and even just talking to people is a good thing. We're all affected whether we know it or not," says Nowakowski.
Alec Weinberger, another runner, says, "Running is fun, and the fact that I get to do that for a good cause just makes it all the better."
All of the proceeds from the $25 registration fee, basket raffles, and more benefit the local National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) chapter and Katie's Place clubhouse, a resource center for those struggling with mental illness. It opened up this past summer on Penn Ave in Scranton.