Ride for Wyatt fundraiser set for Jan. 31

The 2026 Ride for Wyatt is scheduled for Jan. 31 , 2026, at Riverside Park in Mantorville. 

The snowmobile ride and other events of the day raise funds for the Wyatt M. Coy Memorial Scholarship, an endowed (perpetual) fund to support graduate and undergraduate students pursuing a career related to mental health with a special focus on treatment of depression and suicide prevention.

Wyatt Coy is described by his family as a “loving, compassionate, funny kid. He lit up a room with his smile and he had the best belly laugh!”

He was the sunshine in many people’s lives but could not often find his own light and died by suicide when he was 18 years old.

His favorite pastime was snowmobiling, and after his death, friends and family proposed a “snowmobile ride” as a memorial to Wyatt and his love for the sport.

They also wanted the event to “mean something” and to raise awareness and give voice to mental health, depression and suicide prevention. They adopted the slogan “It’s OK to not be OK.”

For the first ride, organizers thought they might generate a few hundred dollars. But when it was over, they had raised more than $40,000. The Rochester Area Foundation was chosen to administer what would ultimately become the Wyatt M. Coy Memorial Scholarship Fund.

The 30-mile ride will start and end at the park in Mantorville.

After the ride, and for non-riders, there will be a social hour at the Mantorville Saloon, chili supper, silent auction, live music by Honeyshine Hollow (a musical group comprised of Wyatt’s former Boy Scout leaders), a Bloody Mary Bar, 50/50 raffle and more.