Thursday, October 1, 2026
Picture an average high school classroom full of students. According to recent data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 20 percent of those students have given suicide serious consideration. Almost 10 percent of them have attempted it. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in teens and young adults — more prevalent than any disease including cancer.
Michael Berube wasn’t a statistic. He was a Long Beach lifeguard and a varsity wrestler at Long Beach High School, and was widely known by his family and friends to be one of the first to turn strangers into friends with his open, inviting charm. When Berube died by suicide in 2023, his memory and attitude inspired those who knew him to continue his legacy, to ensure that others feel included and safe.
“After he passed,” his mother, Neila Berube, recalled, “a wrestling coach and a friend of mine from the school board brought a group of the kids together to discuss if people would like to do something to remember Michael, and what they would like to do. It was kind of a roundtable of young people, and the color run was what got voted for and stuck. Then it was just figuring out how to make it happen.”
On May 30, the third annual Berube Sunset Color Run took place on the beach at Riverside Boulevard. A half-mile strip of beach was turned into a zone for runners to make their way through a two-lap gauntlet of eco-friendly, multi-colored dust.
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Several hundred people took part, more than in either previous gathering. Some had known Berube, continue to feel his loss and think of the event as a chance to reconnect with his energy.
“This is my third year doing it,” Long Beach resident Rose Vonharringa said. “I was actually friends with Michael, and I’m close with his family. I think it’s amazing for people who are struggling, whether it’s from a loss themselves or their own mental struggle. It just helps everybody feel more connected.”
This year’s event raised more than $50,000 for the Michael R. Berube Foundation. The organization funds scholarships for college students entering mental health-related fields, sponsors athletes attending wrestling camps and helps families dealing with tragedy.
The day’s theme was a “run toward hope.” The foundation encourages mental health awareness and open discussions to reduce the stigma of asking for help in times of need. More tangibly, the beach was decorated with nearly a dozen signs displaying inspirational messages for the runners, as well as a 10-foot-tall wall at the entrance, on which participants were invited to write messages of hope on sticky notes for all to see.
“Unfortunately, events like this are born out of tragedy, which is becoming more and more common,” Nassau County Legislator Patrick Mullaney said. “The theme of this is, really, help is out there, and helping each other. Making people stronger, together. This is one of the things Long Beach does best, it turns out.”
The evening was a family occasion, with many parents bringing small children, who waddled their way through the green- and pink-hued sand. Jaclyn Weiss, Michael’s cousin, who served as emcee, explained that the organization deliberately focuses on mental health discussions and signage, while avoiding the word “suicide.” That, Weiss said, gives parents the chance to initiate discussions in their own time.
There were frequent sightings throughout the day of members of the local wrestling community — athletes and coaches who knew, or knew of, Berube have become a major part of the experience.
“He started with the youth wrestling program, the Gladiators,” Miguel Rodriguez, assistant coach at the high school, recounted. “Eventually he wrestled for us at the high school level. The wrestling community was devastated by the tragedy, but now we all come together as one and continue to not only live his memory, but spread the message that you’re not alone.”
The gathering was loaded with DJ-curated music, laughter and an energetic atmosphere that fit with an oceanfront run on a cool spring evening — in addition to the eventual mess of powder-caked T-shirts and dust-covered faces. The lighthearted vibe was balanced by the underlying gravity of mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
“Obviously, it’s bittersweet,” Neila Berube said. “It’s beautiful to do something purposeful to try to help people and raise awareness and raise spirits. It’s also very, very hard. Every day is very hard. But this is what we can do. And it’s a fitting event for Mike.”
If you want to talk to someone about mental health care or self-harm urges, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and receive judgment-free care from a live counselor, available 24/7.
