‘It ain’t weak to speak’: Seymour trio to tackle mental health run

To memorialise the father, fiancé, son and mate to many, the trio are collecting donations for the Black Dog Institute, but the run is much more than a fundraising venture.

Will Hammond passed away in October last year, leaving behind two young children and fiancé Stephanie.

For years, Will was the man behind the baked goods at Woolies in Seymour.

Co-worker Bec Smyth said it’s important to remember Will as he was.

“Will was a very well-known baker, and we lost him last year to suicide,” she said.

“He was so loving, and such a soft soul.”

The team of runners has already amassed $2595 to go towards the cause, with the community rallying behind their team, named in commemoration of Will, to enact a positive change out of a difficult situation.

While Mr Pink doesn’t consider himself to be much of a runner, he said he didn’t really think twice about getting involved in Run Melbourne to honour his friend.

“I’ve never run marathons or anything, but I know people who have done it (Run Melbourne) and then it popped up on my Facebook because I followed Black Dog after his death, and they asked if I wanted to run Run Melbourne and raise awareness,” Mr Pink said.

“It was only a couple of months after his death and I thought I wanted to do it in his memory, and then a couple of his other mates jumped on board, too.

“It’s not just about raising money for us, it’s about raising awareness.”

As well as shedding light on the impact of suicide, the Will Hammond Run Melbourne team is hoping that their efforts result in intervention.

“There were no signs beforehand, he didn’t speak up, he didn’t say anything the week before, and then it was too late,” Ms Smyth said.

“We want to raise that awareness earlier, so people speak up earlier.”

To donate to the team or find out more about their message, visit https://tinyurl.com/yyxys3vb

Lifeline 13 11 14; Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636.