Runners, walkers, spectators and kids are invited to participate in the Stronger Together Foundation 5k and Fun Run on Saturday. The race, which will start and end at City Hall, will benefit the Stronger Together Foundation, which assists the families of veterans who’ve died by suicide.

The Stronger Together Foundation was started in 2021 by Mike Couch and Eric Smith, both veterans, who wanted to raise awareness of veteran suicides and support the families wrestling with the death of their loved ones.

“Our mission is to create an environment dedicated to helping those left behind to process and deal with the tragedy of suicide by connecting them with others who have experienced the same type of loss,” Couch said.

Since launching the non-profit, Couch said Stronger Together has grown from an idea into something much, much bigger. Multiple companies, veterans groups and people have partnered with Stronger Together to help raise awareness about the suicide epidemic.

Couch, who serves as president of the foundation, said 22 veterans die each day from suicide and each suicide touches about 50 people. Yet, he said many americans are unaware of the problem.

“It’s something not talked about, and there’s a stigma behind it,” he said. “We’re trying to bridge that gap and be there for those families.”

While Saturday’s event started off as a 5k, Couch said it has since grown into a full-fledged festival. In addition to the race, he said the event will also feature touch-a-truck, with Meridian police, fire and Metro ambulance, a motorcycle show, multiple veterans groups and more than 25 vendors.

“It’s kind of taken a life of its own on,” he said.

The Stronger Together Foundation 5k will start out as a rally recognizing the epidemic of veteran suicide in America and sharing prevention information and resources, Couch said. From there, the event will pivot into the race and end with the festival, he said.

“We’re going to bring people together, and we’re going to tell them about suicide prevention,” he said. “Then we’re going to move on in to a festival to celebrate families and life.”

Proceeds from Saturday’s event will benefit the Stronger Together Scholarship fund, Couch said. Often, when a loved one takes their life, their family is cut off from the income they brought in. Through the scholarship fund, he said the hope is to bridge that income gap and allow students to start or continue their studies.

Saturday’s 5k is set to kick off at 8 a.m., with race day registration available form 6:45 to 7:45 a.m. Runners can also pre-register at time2run.net.

For more information, visit strongertogetherfoundation.org or find the organization on Facebook.