Suicide awareness is focal point for Candor 5K Run/Walk

The first annual Suicide Awareness and Prevention 5K Run / Walk in Memory of Tim Neild will be held on Saturday, Oct. 12 in Candor, N.Y. The event coincides with Candor’s annual Fall Festival, scheduled for Oct. 11-13. 

All proceeds will benefit the Tim Neild Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is presented to a graduating senior student at Candor who plans to pursue formal education and a career in service to others.

Tim Neild dedicated his life to service. A veteran of Afghanistan, Neild was a Bronze Star recipient and Captain in the 27th Brigade Army National Guard. An active member of V.F.W. Post 1371 in Owego, Tim was also a member of their Honor Guard. A Candor native, Neild graduated with the 1998 Candor High School class and later Delhi and Binghamton Universities.

Neild had survived a horrific motor vehicle accident in December 2013. He had been knocked unconscious after his vehicle suddenly left the road near DeWitt, N.Y. and crashed into an Interstate 481 bridge. Neild later thanked several motorists at a military-style ceremony for their heroic actions in pulling him to safety from a fiery wreckage. Coincidentally, one of Neild’s rescuers was a fellow National Guard member from his own unit.

The 2013 accident left Neild with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), as well as third and fourth degree burns and several broken bones, among other injuries. Neild had been hospitalized for two years at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. before he returned home to Candor as a disabled and retired veteran.

In 2011, Neild had suffered a separate TBI. While driving a tractor on property he was clearing to build a new home, a tree snapped back and struck him, knocking him unconscious.

Neild struggled with the lasting effects of his TBI’s, along with numerous physical, mental and emotional challenges. He took his own life in October 2017 and now rests at Maple Grove Cemetery in Candor.

Neild’s sister, Aubrey Lang, remarked, “Tim had PTSD, TBI and Bipolar,” and today is left wondering had Tim not been deployed after his first brain injury, would he still be here.

To help break the stigma and educate the public about mental health issues, along with TBI research, Lang launched “Team Timmy.” The organization’s mission is three-fold; while honoring the memory of Captain Tim Neild, the group strives to raise awareness and support for TBI, veteran services and suicide awareness and prevention. 

At an award ceremony in the spring when the first scholarship was announced, Lang met Candor High School Senior, Kayleigh Wulf.

Kayleigh commented, “Aubrey spoke with such emotion at the ceremony,” and further explained that it prompted her to, “Want to give back to the community.”

Kayleigh has been involved in the 5K planning process from the beginning. From posting signs, seeking out sponsors, and securing necessary village permits and school buy-in, Kayleigh took it upon herself to get the 5K running.

It is hoped, too, that the event will grow and ultimately expand to include scholarships for other Tioga County schools.

As the second anniversary of Tim’s death nears, Aubrey shared, “Tim passed away on Oct. 12, so the timing of the 5K is really meant-to-be,” and added that the 5K is extra-meaningful, too, because, “We were very close and often ran together.”

When Neild was at Walter Reed, Aubrey said that her brother enjoyed receiving cards from the public, and, while deployed, was appreciative of care packages. Aubrey plans to organize card writing and care package projects for Walter Reed patients and deployed soldiers. Aubrey shared that Tim often delivered little surprises to people who were kind to him, so the project adds one more way to pay it forward.

Registration on the day of the event is from 1:30 to 3:45 p.m. at the Candor Elementary School located at 1 Academy St. in Candor. The 4 p.m. run/walk starts and finishes at the school.

The registration fee is $25 for adults with shirt or $20 without shirt. Students age 18 and under are $20 with shirt or $15 without shirt. All pre-registered runners and walkers will receive a finisher medal.  

Team registration fees are $19 for each team member with a shirt (teams are five or more members), or $14 per team member without a shirt.

Awards will be given to the top three male and top three female finishers in each age group, as well as an overall award and team awards for the most participants and fastest finishing team.

Individuals who are not participating in the 5K can still support the event; details will be made available at the event.

For information, find the event page on Facebook, or pre-register at www.wulfcreekdesigns.com/tim-neild-5k-sign-up.

Information about Team Timmy can be found on Facebook.