Help us raise money

I never expected a billboard on Highway 10 to change my life.

But it did.

When Linda and I moved to Minnesota three years ago, I was still trying to find a way to turn our family’s grief into something meaningful.

Many of you know our son Jonathan died by suicide in 2019 at 27 years old. He was bright, gifted, and a talented musician—but he also struggled with depression and social anxiety in ways we didn’t fully understand until it was too late.

We were devastated.

And I kept asking myself: What do you do with a loss like that?

One day, while driving along Highway 10, I saw a billboard for a 5K in Elk River sponsored by an organization called Thumbs Up.

I looked them up. Registered. Reached out.

That simple moment led me to Katie Shatusky, whose own family loss had inspired her to create Thumbs Up—a nonprofit supporting mental health and those affected by suicide.

That meeting changed everything.

It became the beginning of Jonathan’s Team.

Over the past three years, family and friends—including many of you—have helped us raise $15,700.20 for Thumbs Up.

Nothing can undo what happened. Nothing can bring Jonathan back.

But we can choose what we do with our grief.

We cannot redeem the loss itself—but perhaps we can redeem something from the loss.

Every person who supports Jonathan’s Team reminds me that Jonathan’s life mattered—and that his story is still unfolding in ways we never expected. And maybe, because of him, someone else will find help. Someone else will feel less alone.

And I’m asking for your help again.

Throughout August, you can support Thumbs Up by donating to Jonathan’s Team—just click the link and follow the instructions.

And for my Minnesota friends, I’d love to have you join us in person.

On Saturday, September 19, Jonathan’s Team will be at Lake Orono Park in Elk River for the Thumbs Up 5K/10K. You can walk, run, or bike. Most of my family walks it. You don’t need to be an athlete—just come.

Maybe you come in memory of someone you love. Maybe you just want to be part of something good.

If you’d like to join us, register on the website and select Jonathan’s Team.

Over time, I’ve learned something I didn’t expect: you don’t “move on” from grief, but you can learn to live well within it. We carry Jonathan with us every day, and there is still joy in our lives, even alongside the sorrow. That balance has become part of our story.

Our friends and family have brought us so much joy along the way, and we are deeply grateful.

Thank you for remembering Jonathan with us, for supporting this work, and for being part of our lives.

Joe