In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Hope for Depression Research Foundation (HDRF) will hold its Second Annual Teen Race of Hope to Defeat Depression in Manhattan at Pier 76 Hudson River Park on Sunday, May 19, 2024. HDRF created Teen Race to provide teens and their families with a screen-free occasion to connect, be active, and raise mental health awareness. The event is organized with a working group of teen leaders from different public and private schools throughout New York City. HDRF hosts a Race of Hope annually in Palm Beach and Southampton, but the Teen Race of Hope is specifically focused on what experts say is an alarming collapse of adolescent mental health in the United States. Hayden Lucas, a senior at Dwight High School on the Upper West Side, serves as Lead Student Ambassador. Noelle Saldana, a junior at Fieldston School in the Bronx, will join Hayden as Co-Lead Student Ambassador.

“We want to reach far into our City’s communities to empower teens to openly discuss mental health and reinforce their sense of community,” Lucas said. “As teens we need to recognize the signs of depression and do what we can do to support our peers,” added Saldana. Lucas and Saldana will be joined by 19 student ambassadors from throughout the city, as they lead participants on a beautiful 5K (3.1) mile route along the Hudson River esplanade and public piers. Schools represented include: Chapin, Dalton, Dwight, Fieldston School, Grace Church, John Bowne, Nightingale-Bamford, Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics, Marymount, Phillips Exeter Academy, Red Bank Catholic, Renaissance Charter School, Speyer Legacy, Stuyvesant, and Trevor Day School. While some participants will choose to run this event competitively, others will opt to walk or stroll with their friends. No matter their age or speed, all racers are united in a common purpose – to support research into new treatments for depression and to fight the stigma still associated with seeking help. The state of teen mental health is urgent, with a surge in depression and anxiety among our youth. More than one in three high school students reported feeling persistent sadness and hopelessness, a 40% increase since 2009, according to a recent national survey. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 15 to 19; and almost 4,000 children and teens attempt suicide every day. The working committee of Teen Race Ambassadors includes: Mia Abramson, Marni Arons, Anysa Bickici, Alva Carlston, Ethan Criollo, Hannah Diker, Sophie Higgins, Abigail Kidd, Tanner Klipstein, Ruby McKillips, Hayden Lucas, Summer Nelson, Sophia Rossi, Noelle Saldana, Bryan Samaniego, Gui Sequiera, Ai Vy Shulman, Jennifer Tatu, and Sienna Vadi.

Pier 76, Hudson River Park at 408 12th Ave West Map
212-580-0835