It was 7:30 when I saw AJ's mom had texted me. It said “AJ’s gone” next message “he committed suicide.” The friend who taught me that no matter how dark the clouds, there's always light on the other side—had lost his way in the darkness. 

This August, I will be walking 2,560 miles from Austin, TX to Oregon City, OR to carry his light forward and fight suicide—one step, one story, one life at a time.

I NEED YOUR SUPPORT to help me complete this walk!  
$50 = 1 Day of meals for crew and helps keep us hydrated
$75 = 1 Day of fuel → Keeps the mission alive for 35 miles
$100 = 1 Outreach Event → Connects an entire community to help
$200 = 1 week of safety  → Support van operation ensuring the journey continues 

Your support will create exponential impact. 
Your $50 doesn't just buy one day of meals—it fuels the energy that carries AJ's story 35 miles further, potentially reaching 500 people on social media, inspiring 5 people to seek help, and ultimately saving 1 life.

Route: Austin, TX → Oregon City, OR  (25+ cities)
Distance: 2,560 miles 
Pace: 25-35 miles per day 
Timeline: 75-100 days starting in August 2025
 Mission: Community events, resource sharing, and hope-building in cities across America


THE FRIEND WHO CHANGED EVERYTHING
AJ wasn't just my best friend—he was the person who made everyone feel seen. He had this incredible ability to check in on others and remind you that tomorrow could be better than today. When I was struggling, AJ would say, "No matter how dark the clouds, there's light on the other side."

He lived those words every day—until depression made him forget them.

When AJ died by suicide in Oregon City, I didn't just lose my best friend. I lost my faith that good people with bright lights could always find their way through darkness.

Those texts from his mom changed everything. In the days that followed, I learned that behind every suicide statistic is a family destroyed, friends left with unanswerable questions, and a community trying to make sense of the senseless. But I also learned something else: AJ's story wasn't unique. Every year, over 49,300 Americans die by suicide—enough people to fill a major league baseball stadium. Behind each number is someone like AJ—someone loved, someone who mattered, someone whose story could have continued with the right support at the right moment.

Picture this: In four months, I'll be standing in Oregon City where AJ took his final breath. But instead of ending a story, I'll be starting a thousand new ones—because every mile between here and there will have sparked conversations that save lives, connected people to resources, and reminded someone struggling that their next step matters. 

THE MOVEMENT WE'RE BUILDING TOGETHER 
The Next Step Movement isn't just about supporting a run—it's about joining a revolution against silence, stigma, and suicide. Your name doesn't just go on a donor list; it goes on a movement that's changing how America talks about mental health. Behind the statistic "49,300 annual suicide deaths" are 49,300 empty chairs at dinner tables, 49,300 phone numbers that will never be answered again, 49,300 dreams that ended too soon. But in front of that statistic are millions of people still fighting—and your support helps ensure their stories continue.
 
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-34
• Men die by suicide nearly 4 times more than women
• For every suicide death, there are 25 attempts
• Rates have surged 30% in the last two decades

MY VISION FOR THIS MOVEMENT
Before: AJ's laugh could fill a room, but depression filled his mind with silence.
During: Every step of these 2,560 miles carries his memory forward and creates new hope.
After: When I reach Oregon City, it won't be an ending—it will be the beginning of countless conversations that save lives. This is your invitation to join something bigger than a run—a movement that turns pain into purpose, silence into conversation, and despair into hope. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Donate whatever feels meaningful—every dollar genuinely matters.
Share this page and AJ’s story on your social feeds or by text. Authentic stories travel far.
Walk a Mile—join us virtually or in person for any segment of the route.
Connect Us to community groups, schools, or churches along the way that could host a Hope Huddle.
In-Kind Donation for any  gear, goods, or services to help with this mission please contact me directly (Instagram: @walking_with_ab)

WHERE EVERY DOLLAR GOES 
Covering the mission essentials:
• Support van, fuel, and maintenance
• Crew support for safety and logistics
• Lodging and recovery
• Nutrition and medical supplies
• Community outreach events and materials
• Storytelling and documentation

After covering these essentials, every remaining dollar goes directly to:
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
• Crisis Text Line
• Local mental health organizations along the route

Let's take the next step together—because every life, including AJ's, is worth fighting for. Together, we can show that no one has to face their darkest moments alone. Thank you for reading!

With hope and determination, 
Alex Bradley
Founder, The Next Step Movement

Contact me: [phone redacted]

Margaret Pitz

Andrea Holley

Anonymous

Korbinian Schmid

Jennifer Chong

Daniel Radin

Corbin Greenlee

Aaron Burrell

Johnell Huebner

Sara Kirkbride

Michael Lombard

Juan Najera

Kaitlyn Eschenbrenner

Jennifer Mastin

Vivian Carrasco

John Barry

Genevieve Nakamura

Alex Pate

Sherry KLEMENT

Support Alex’s 2,560-Mile Walk for Mental Health

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

$opt_dummy_attribute

English only

Deprecate Stripe Legacy

dyn_template_ids

Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

Bene transfer V6 and AdyenV6MyMoney Campaign Organizers - production

OneTrust next-app audience

fundCountryCode

NextDoor Share Option Users

Fundraisers with Reactions feature capability

fundCurrencyCode

US + Non-charity COs Only

locale

fund country is US and user language is English

personId

comms-internal-person-ids

Enhanced Story Experience Users

Suggested Goal Experience Users

user language is English and fund country: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

Poster share - new funds eligible (newest 9/18)

Streaming widgets beta user

paymentProcessor

3DS payment method

user language is English and fundCountry: US, AU, DK, FI, IE, NO, SE, CA, GB; 

GoFundMe Employees

ipAddress

Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

paymentMethodType

checkoutType

Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

admin pr kit prod

EUR Donation Upsell

Share Text generation Skip Fundraiser

(prod) new funds eligible for amp12 (UGC gallery)

fintrac_cad_idv_form_v2 audience

paymentProcessorAccountId

fallback mode accounts

proCampaignId

p2p legacy startfundraising page

AMP24 New Funds Only PROD (DO NOT MODIFY)

countryCode

charityId

UKCharities

Federated Search Internal Testing

route.pathname community

US Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks Feature Audience

Supporter Comments Eligible Funds

International Only

fundId

braze fundraiser group 

Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

Fundraiser Saved Payment Method Rate Limit Bypass (Production)

leaderboard-partner-id-audience-givepanel

Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

charityCommunityId

Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

currencyCode

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

writePath

Stream Notification

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

Users Receiving Braze KYC Validation Failed

Native 11.3.0 and above

Influencer - Prod

US fundraisers and US users

ai_title_page

anyword

openai

control

manual_entry

userEmail

template_id

userId

fundUrl

isCharityCo

email

appVersion

shouldBucketIntoExperiment

partnerId

donationCadence

isActiveFundraiser

isPartner

isMobile

npoProfileOptIn

fundIsLinkedWithMeta

hasSessionDonation

isCampaignOwner

fundHasInstagramDeepLink

Native 11.4.0 and higher

New funds eligible - Video Sharing (PROD)

GB Donation Upsell audience 

Auto Thanks V3 Rollout Audience

Thank you V3 testing whitelist

isRecurringFriendly

Is Recurring Friendly

Excluded funds - Video Sharing

Logged In Users

CH Donation Upsell audience

Android v10.6.0 and above

userCurrencyCode

Localized Currency

v11.5.0 and above

testAudience

pathname

Survicate

appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

Non-charity fund

isChallengeFundraiser

challenge-fundraisers

Payment Identity Launch Verification - Production

New funds eligible - Posters v2

CAD Donation Upsell Audience

Braze Email Tester

NPO Profile Opted-Out

iOS App Version

hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

iOS v12.3.0 and above

Support Alex’s 2,560-Mile Walk for Mental Health

Still $67,212 to go. Help us build momentum.