GRANDVIEW, Ohio — Katy Gamertsfelder and Bridget Readey will always remember 2021.

The two pals had been teammates of a vigorous, fun-loving, outdoorsy man named Alex Wilhelm, 30, who took his personal life on March eighth. 

“It was one of the most traumatic, I mean, I think we both can, we can remember the day like it was yesterday, unfortunately,” mentioned Readey, a buddy of Willhelm’s.

Alex Willhelm.

Volleyball introduced the group collectively in 2019 as they performed in a leisure league collectively at Woodland’s Backyard each Wednesday. But their friendship prolonged past the sand courts. They all grew to become nice pals and went tenting, mountaineering and celebrated birthdays collectively.

Willhelm’s dying got here as a shock to the buddies as they mentioned it appeared like he had all the pieces going for him. They described him because the lifetime of the social gathering and mentioned he got here from an awesome household and had a secure job.

“He was always buying rounds, buying rounds of drinks for people, he was the coach on our team, you know, he’d always given pointers and bring his dog and go on hikes,” mentioned Katy Gamertsfelder, a buddy of Willhelm’s. “You wouldn’t think that someone that’s this active, and that’s in a huge, huge, huge friend and support group, has a beautiful family, that would, that would feel that way, that he had no escape, and it just was an awakening for us.”

Katy Gamertsfelder and Bridget Readey, co-founders of the Spike the Stigma, MENd the Mind volleyball match. (Spectrum News 1/ Taylor Bruck)

Gamertsfelder and Readey felt compelled to deliver gentle to males’s psychological well being and the stigmas surrounding it. In honor of their late buddy, they began a volleyball match the 12 months he died known as “Spike the Stigma, MENd the Mind.” Three years later, the annual match continues to deliver consciousness to males’s psychological well being and gives assets and help to those that want it. 

“It affects more people than we are aware of,” Gamertsfelder mentioned. “So I think that kind of got across last year. And that’s why the turnout was so big. We had, we had guys, women, you know, people coming up to saying, you know, I had my cousin, my brother, my daughter, my son, you know, it’s terrible. And the point is to talk about it.” 

Nearly 400 gamers are anticipated to participate on this 12 months’s all-day match with a whole lot extra coming to look at. Gamertsfelder and Readey raised $17,000 in 12 months one, $30,000 in 12 months two and are hoping to lift $50,000 this 12 months. All proceeds go to organizations in central Ohio working in suicide prevention and consciousness, equivalent to The Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation and Cornerstone of Hope.

“Everyone has things, whether it’s your, your family, or your friends or your job, and just like stress, and like maybe it’s multiple little things that build over time, but like everyone has, everyone has those things and just like not being, like not assuming that your problems aren’t relatable,” Readey mentioned. 

Every 12 months, the match has gotten greater as they achieve extra help from the neighborhood. This 12 months’s match would be the greatest but. Gamertsfelder and Readey have deliberate meals distributors, a silent public sale for reward baskets and native artwork, 50/50 raffle baskets, a Jeep stacking occasion, a dwell Dj and psychological well being assets.

Spike the Stigma, MENd the Mind 2022 match, Submitted Photo

Gamertsfelder and Readey need to break the stigma surrounding psychological well being amongst everybody, however particularly males. Although all genders are affected by psychological sickness, it’s typically neglected in males. Mental well being amongst males typically goes untreated as a result of they’re far much less more likely to search psychological well being remedy than girls.

The charge of suicide is highest in middle-aged white males, in response to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. They accounted for almost 70% of suicide deaths in 2021, at a charge almost 4 occasions that of girls. 

“There’s so many things nowadays, whether it comes down to like men, like, you know, men can’t wear pink or like men can’t cry or you know, and it’s just like, it’s so sickening to hear because especially as two women, right? Like we, you know, we have the right to talk about our emotions or we’re crazy because we cry but like there are men that honestly would rather like end their own life than talk about the way they feel and I just like I’m not having it,” Readey mentioned.

Gamertsfelder and Readey need all males to realize it’s okay to talk up, it’s okay to cry, it’s okay to be human. Their buddy misplaced his life to suicide, however they hope his story conjures up others to dwell out theirs. 

“We miss him every day. And we hope that he’s, you know, I know, I feel like in my heart he’s saved other lives because of everything that he inspired,” Gamertsfelder mentioned. 

The volleyball match is at Woodlands Backyard in Grandview and goes all day till about 11 p.m., or when the final sport has ended.  

If you or anybody you already know is struggling, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free and accessible 24/7. Just name or textual content 988.