RICHMOND, Va. β Byrd Park will transform into exactly what the late Cameron Gallagher envisioned more than a decade ago: a race course filled with fun zones, music, laughter and inspiration at every corner.
While Cameron, who passed away 11 years ago from an undiagnosed heart condition, never got to see the Speak Up 5K become a reality in her lifetime, her legacy has ensured that others could experience her vision.
"I think her passion for mental health was just like something that I share, but I also just really admired and at a young age being willing to be the leader and be a voice for a lot of people," said Kate Pietruszkiewicz, a Glen Allen High School student.
Pietruszkiewicz has been taking part in the Speak Up 5K since middle school. Now a senior at Glen Allen High School, she helps lead the school's Speak Up Club, a place where students can come and talk about the pressures of being a teenager.
"The thing about mental health is just that so many more people deal with it, struggle with it, or want to learn more and talk about it than you think," she said.
Watch: Why Grace Gallagher continues to honor daughter Cameron's vision 11 years after her death
With the encouragement and support of the CKG Foundation, Speak Up clubs are popping up in schools across Virginia.
The clubs serve as a place not only to raise awareness and understanding of teen mental wellness, including anxiety and depression, but to be a support for others.
"I see these faces in the hallway, but then getting to know their stories and what they struggle with and just talking to each other and forming those relationships," Pietruszkiewicz said.
Those connections are why she encourages students at other schools to start their own Speak Up Club if they don't have one.
"Start it β even if it starts with just a couple of people. Having a place to just talk and learn and be able to have an impact in your school, it'll gain momentum and it's just like a really cool thing to see," she said.
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