14 Nebraskaland • May 2022
IN THE FIELD
Stone Creek Falls at Platte River State Park in Cass County. JEFF KURRUS, NEBRASKALAND
Tyler Vanderheiden was an avid outdoors fan,
who loved to hunt, fish and just be outside.
In 2021, the Tyler Vanderheiden Memorial Run
was launched in his honor, with the goal of raising
awareness and understanding of mental health
and also to act as a fundraiser for Nebraska Game
and Parks state park trails.
"Tyler loved the outdoors," said Shannon
Vanderheiden, executive director of West Central
District Health Department and Tyler's mom. "We
wanted to honor his memory by giving back to
what he loved while also raising awareness of
mental health, a significant public health concern
right here in Nebraska and across the country."
"This run helps raise awareness that walking
and running are effective tools in the battle for
mental and emotional wellness and are vital
to helping address mental health and suicide
prevention."
The annual memorial run is planned for May 14,
2022, at Cody Park in North Platte. Race organizers
have made it their goal to see runners from every
Nebraska county and every state participate
in-person or virtually in the race; participants
may choose a 2-mile or 5-mile run.
This year's race proceeds will help support
the construction and upgrade of the Platte River
State Park trail that leads to Stone Creek Falls.
Improvements are aimed at making the trail
Americans with Disabilities Act accessible.
We invite you to register online at
PlatteRiverFitness.com/PublicHealth or donate to
the trails fundraiser at tvm.BetterWorld.org.
The run is organized by the Platte River Fitness
Series with support by the West Central District
Health Department. Proceeds are donated to the
Nebraska Game and Parks Foundation for the
creation, maintenance or upgrade of trails at the
76 state park areas, and additional trails across
the state will be supported in the future.
To learn more, visit OutdoorNebraska.org/
MemorialRun.
MEMORIAL RUN HELPS RAISE MONEY FOR
STATE PARK TRAILS
By Shawna Richter-Ryerson
