Preble High School to host a 5K to support mental health. Here's where the funding goes.

GREEN BAY – Preble High School senior Emma Dornbush can feel the difference in her mental health in the weeks she exercises versus the weeks she doesn’t.

“When I exercise more, I feel better, personally. I definitely find that, during my week-long breaks, it’s definitely a little harder because you don’t sleep as well,” Dornbush, 17, said. “We’re really trying to promote physical activity as a supporter of mental health.”

Dornbush, in addition to being an aspiring engineer, is the senior advisor of the Preble Pride Leadership Board, a student group formed a year ago that’s part of the larger Preble Pride group comprising teachers, administrators and students. It’s focused on improving school culture — and few areas need more improvement in high school than mental health.

That’s why mental health is front and center in Preble Pride’s first 5K run since before the pandemic, when the theme for six years had been anti-bullying. Called the Preble Pride Mental Health Awareness 5K, the event is designed to promote mental health awareness and encourage physical activity in people of all ages. Proceeds from the 5K will support Preble High School’s mental health groups and initiatives.

At 9 a.m. Saturday, May 11, runners, walkers and people on wheels will start the race on Danz Avenue between Preble High School, 2222 Deckner Ave., and the Preble stadium. Registration is open and priced in the following categories:

• Adult (individual): $30

• Student (individual): $15

• Student group/team rate for 10 or more participants: $12 per person

• Race Day entry fees are $35 for adults and $18 for students.

Why is mental health the theme this year?

According to the 2021 Brown County Youth Risk Behavior Survey, of which Preble High School was a part, just 61% of high school students agreed or strongly agreed that they belonged in school.

For the 13% of students who said they did not feel they belonged in school, they also tended to score higher rates of anxiety and depression in the survey. Recent years have also brought youth suicides and suicidal ideation, with girls saying they seriously considered suicide in the last 12 months at twice the rate of boys.

Adam Wiskerchen, associate principal at Preble High School, said parents have expressed frustration with the access to counseling and support in the community, an issue also reflected by more than half of students who took the YRBS survey, who said they rarely or never get the help they need.

“One of the things that we try to do is break down stigma, letting them know they can talk about things,” Wiskerchen said. “We want them to know what their resources are. We want to keep that conversation open, let them know that there are people who care for them.”

Katharine Vande Castle, a special education teacher at Preble High and the internal facilitator for Preble Pride, said she’s seen how difficult it is for students to connect to each other in a personal way.

Social media and screen time in general have hijacked young people’s ability to talk to each other in person, Vande Castle said, and organizing a 5K run that includes everyone, regardless of ability, is a “great way to build community.”

What does the race support?

Funding will support Preble High School’s Mental Health and Wellness Fair, which Preble juniors are required to attend. That’s significant because juniors in Brown County have some of the highest rates of depression, anxiety, youth suicides and suicidal ideation of all high school grades.

As students prepare for summer vacation, Preble Pride wants to ensure students have all the resources they need. Despite the joy summertime elicits, Wiskerchen said the season can be very tough on kids because they fall out of their norms and routines.

Proceeds will also fund the Preble Pride group and Sources of Strength, an evidence-based, peer-led student group dedicated to mental health promotion and suicide prevention. Dornbush has been a peer leader with Sources of Strength since her sophomore year and has seen firsthand the importance of peers opening up to each other.

“We're more open to talking about it with each other and we don’t really want to talk to adults about it,” Dornbush said. “High school life is stressful. Even though maybe we don't have a full-time job, school can be a lot. And I think a lot of people struggle with things like anxiety and depression a lot.”

Who can participate?

The whole community is welcome to participate.

The beauty of this event, both Vande Castle and Wiskerchen said, is that people of all abilities are able to participate.

Preble High School’s one fundraiser for the 5K run has allowed them to work with the state organization My Team Triumph, which provides support for people with diverse abilities to train, race and take part in social events all over Wisconsin.

My Team Triumph will work with six captains, students at Preble High with disabilities, and arrange three to four “angels” per captain, people who run alongside the captains for the duration of the race.

Diamond Heating and Cooling, an HVAC contractor in Green Bay, will sponsor the angels, Wiskerchen said, and the six captains get to do the race for free.

The goal is to build the community, Wiskerchen said, and that includes getting elementary and middle schoolers involved, which could very well look like cheering from the sidelines.

Dornbush remembers fondly her days in elementary school, looking up to the high schoolers brandishing Hornets T-shirts and other swag. She looked forward to the day she too could be a Hornet.

“I always thought they were so cool and it got me excited to be a Hornet one day,” Dornbush said. “That’s something else it does: For all those younger kids that are going to be feeding into Preble, it will also build that excitement to be a Hornet one day, to see all the things you can do.”

Are there any awards?

The six divisions, broken down by age starting in elementary school and ending in 40 and up, will be the most unique items you can win.

Dornbush and some of her classmates from the course Engineering, Design and Development, will design and create the six medals this year. Dornbush said they plan to use a range of materials, from wood to 3D printing and some metals, to create one-of-a-kind awards for the race winners.

And everyone will have at least some kind of cheerful award, even if only spiritual in nature. At each mile marker, the Preble High band and drumline will perform, which will certainly add a pep to anyone’s tired step.

A Preble alumni will also be DJing the event.

Is there a funding goal?

Wiskerchen said the funding is secondary to the importance of community-building. Yes, the funding is important because “we want to support these student groups.”

But ultimately, it’s about getting the community together so the school can hopefully repeat the run in future years.

"Having people get excited to come to the high school and, you know, participate as families and community members, that's really the primary focus this year, especially when you're getting something going again," Wiskerchen said.

Natalie Eilbert covers mental health issues for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. She welcomes story tips and feedback. You can reach her at neilbert@gannett.com or view her Twitter profile at @natalie_eilbert. If you or someone you know is dealing with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text "Hopeline" to the National Crisis Text Line at 741-741.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Preble Pride 5K in Green Bay returns after a 4-year hiatus