GREEN RIVER — The senior class at Green River High School and Expedition Academy received cowboy boots from the Jay Foundation this week. This is intended to serve as a physical reminder of checking in with yourself and your loved ones.
The foundation aims to create “boot check” moments, and the cowboy boots, called Jay Boots, are tools that encourage people to have conversations about mental health that they might not otherwise have.
“I have two requests for Jay’s boots… The first is that I want someone to do a boot check today. Someone sticks in your heart, and they’re there for a reason. We say, if you could call us today instead of tomorrow, because tomorrow might be too late… The second question is if you’re in the same space that Jay was in and you realize it’s not going well. We promise to reach out for help if we can,” said Julie McKee, Wyoming Outreach Coordinator for the Jae Foundation.
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McKee said they needed to raise $48,000 from a list of sponsors and donors to be able to donate to the senior population, and about 240 pairs of boots would be given to Green River seniors. It is said that he was Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming, through the Caring Foundation, covered more than half of the cost, McKee said.
The banner, signed by the seniors, identifies the sponsors and donors who helped make the boot donation possible. Photo by Julie McKee.
The students learned about Jevin’s story for the first time. Growing up in Pinedale, Jay loved the outdoors and, of course, cowboy boots. In 2016, Jay took his own life. This shocked everyone who knew him and his loved ones were determined that something good would come from this tragedy. Thus, the Jay Foundation was born.
Expedition Academy senior class wearing Jay boots. Photo by Julie McKee.
By providing these boots to the elderly population, the Jay Foundation hopes to help change the culture of hiding mental health issues and not talking about them. McKee said upperclassmen are the leaders of the school and therefore can help change this culture.
“The challenge we have for our seniors is that the reason you’re wearing these boots is because you’re the oldest in your school. The underclassmen look up to you. So change the culture. Then it has to start with you,” she said.
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After listening to Jay’s story, the seniors had to choose from a huge collection of boots, and everyone chose a pair to take home. When you’re wearing your boots or find them in your closet, you’ll be prompted to contact the person you want to check on.
Additionally, the Jae Foundation is asking students to choose a day of the week for a school-wide boot check day to help these conversations about mental health happen more often.
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GRHS seniors Lillynee Janota and Mark Hildenbrand, who finished the presentation with their new boots, felt encouraged by the Jae boots.
“I feel like there are people who are really paying attention to this. Throughout high school, I saw a lot of people struggling with their mental health and no one really cared about it.” “I feel like people just shrug it off and say, ‘Oh, it’s a teenage thing,’ but it’s really not,” Gianota said. “I think it’s very powerful and motivating to see them cheering for us.”
Photo by Julie McKee.
Recently, a 2024 Rock Springs High School graduate passed away, and Janota and Hildenbrand said the loss caused them to experience the Jay Foundation in a unique way. Hildenbrand emphasized the importance of the boot check concept through his own experience.
“It’s hard to keep in touch with everyone. I’m thinking about when our friend passed away. The last time I spoke to him was in August, a month before he passed away,” he said. .
“This was really heartbreaking because I had someone I knew who died by suicide, but it was also very uplifting,” Janota said.
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GRHS Principal Darren Heslep spoke to the GRHS senior class about looking out for each other and how that can help prevent tragic losses.
“I have been able to watch many children grow up over time, but I have also seen so much more. I’ve been through several times where I’ve had to help people get back on their feet. Doing things like this can prevent a lot of that and make you feel okay to talk about it at any time. You’re having a tough time. Treating people appropriately even if they’re a little different makes it okay,” Heslep said. “In my office, we see a lot of things about kids being bullied, teased, bullied, etc., and that can lead to kids doing things that we don’t want them to do. We need to be a little more understanding, a little more accepting, a little more empathetic.”
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He also emphasized the importance of taking care of your own health and knowing that it’s okay to ask for help.
“We need to take care of ourselves too. Sometimes we wear ourselves down with everything we’re doing and think what we’re going through is the worst thing in the world.” “That may be the case now, but something else will happen in the future,” Heslep said. “We have to keep moving forward and fight through this and rely on those who care enough about us to help us.”
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