Cross-Country Bike Tour Highlighting Male Depression Rides into Brookfield

Mark Meier remembers how debilitating it was to be in the throes of depression.

"At my lowest point I could barely get myself out of bed," Meier, a University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee graduate said in a recent blog entry.

"I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, and my mind raced to the point of causing me to feel profound and debilitating anxiety," he wrote. "And today I am able to teach at the University of Minnesota, provide counseling support to those who suffer with depression, ride my bike across the country, and most importantly be completely engaged with my family."

Meier, his daughter and a friend decided to try to do more to raise awareness of the stigma and solutions for men's depression by biking from coast to coast this summer.

They ride into Brookfield this evening for a public event at M&I University, 401 S. Executive Dr., as well as a picnic Saturday in Milwaukee. Meier, whose wife is from Menomonee Falls, founded the Face It Foundation to address men's depression, providing education, tools and support.

Tickets for tonight's event from 6 to 9 p.m. at M&I University are $10 and can be obtained here. There will be refreshments, hors d'oeuvres, live music and a silent auction with items including sports memorabilia, dining certificates and gift baskets.

Corporate sponsors include Keeper Goals, Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Admirals, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, MillerCoors, Bunzel's Meat Market, Palmer's Steak House, Locker's Floral, Pfister Hotel, Palermo's Pizza, Rolling Waters Inc, Milwaukee County Zoo, Rochambo Coffee House, Extreme Cleaning, Alterra Coffee, Stonecreek Coffee, Revere's Restaurant, Jake's Restaurant, Panos Char House, Mitchell's Fish Market, Vino Cappucino, Stir Crazy, Dylon's Steakhouse, Burke's Lakeside, Thunderbay Grille, St. Croix Cigar Co., Zero-Trace Cleaning, Kathleen Barczak Design and Johnson's Cycle & Fitness, Inc.

In a press release and on his blog, Meier said he suffered with depression for 14 years, and his family suffered from his inability to muster energy and focus to spend time with them.

He said he is biking with his daughter and friend, in part, to show other men that they don't have to suffer alone: friends and family are there to help pull them out of their dispair.

"This tour is about transforming the perceptions of male depression," he said. "We are spreading the word that depression in men is a real problem with real consequences, but there are friends, family and colleagues who want to help them with their depression."

The 3,600-mile, 90-day bike trek is scheduled to end in New York City on Aug. 18.

For more information, see the foundation's "Get Help" section on its web site.