10th Annual Love & Lean Walk/Run for Mental Health

LOVE yourself and know that your pain is real, but so is hope. & LEAN on others (faith, family, friends, teachers, neighbors, co-workers, coaches, counselors, healthcare professionals and community) for help, because the more you lean, the stronger you grow in mental fitness. Join us on Saturday, April 25, 2026, for the 10th Annual Love & Lean Walk/Run for Mental Health! This annual event was inspired by the loss of Zach Kroll, a sophomore at Zeeland East, who silently suffered from depression and died by suicide in 2015 at the age of 15. Zach’s family and friends desire to use this awareness event to reach out to others and make a positive impact in the community. It is so important to recognize the signs of mental illness and have the confidence to take action when helping yourself or others. Our goal is to reduce the shame and secrecy surrounding mental illness, so less people struggle silently, and more people seek help. Through raising mental health awareness, we will all learn how to be more involved and effective in saving lives. OPTIONS Run a 5K. Walk a 5K. Or, walk/run a shorter 1.5 mile route. Scroll down to the end of page to view the Course Map and become familiar with the route. Physical activity is good for mental health! The route will have a variety of terrain, mainly consisting of sidewalks and bike paths, as well as trails through the wetlands. It will also be lined with memorial pictures, motivating interaction, sidewalk chalk inspiration, and encouraging message signs. Zeeland’s Cityside & Creekside combined 7th grade band will be motivating you to the finish line. The route features a "story path", featuring New York Times Bestseller children's book "The Rabbit Listened" by author & illustrator, Cori Doerrfeld. Each page is enlarged and mounted (with permission from the author) on a separate sign along the path for easy reading. It’s a simple but perfect story about how it feels when something goes terribly wr