CAITLIN’S STORY

Growing up, Caitlin proudly wore “Joey’s sister” on her name tag at school events instead of simply writing her own name. It annoyed him to no end, she remembers, but being his big sister was one of the most important parts of who she was.

After Joey’s death, Caitlin, her family, and his friends rallied around one another. They shared the stories that made them laugh and cry in the same breath. It was through this community, and through the annual bikeathon held in Joey’s honor, that Caitlin first discovered Movember and its work in men’s mental health and suicide prevention.

Seeing how something as simple as a conversation, a friend reaching out, or even a shared moustache could help break down walls of silence changed the way Caitlin thought about grief. “I realized I wanted to be part of something bigger than my own grief,” she says.

JOEYFEST

That desire to turn grief into connection eventually became JoeyFest.

What started in 2019 as a gathering at a local brewery has grown into an annual celebration of Joey’s life, filled with live music, heartfelt conversations, and community.

Each year, Caitlin and those who loved Joey carry forward the things that made him who he was: his passions, the songs he loved, his love of the outdoors, and the easy laughter he sparked in everyone around him. But JoeyFest is also a place to talk openly about mental health.

At the event’s open-mic segment and written word wall, friends and strangers alike share their voices. People name the things they have carried quietly, sometimes for years. “I’ve been humbled by the community of people who drive miles to stand shoulder to shoulder, raise a toast to Joey, and to the promise that together, we will keep fighting for every man’s right to a tomorrow.”

Today, Caitlin is an English teacher, and the lessons she has learned through Joey continue to shape how she shows up for her students. She sees it in the young men who nod slowly when she reminds them that asking for help is a sign of strength. She sees it in students who stay behind after class, send a late-night email because they need someone to listen, or find the courage to open up during their school’s Movember club. She has watched students open up to one another, and she has seen how even a small act of openness can change someone’s life. That is the lesson she carries with her every day.