100 Miles for Suicide Prevention in Construction

TL;DR: 

I agonized over whether to include this or not. When I heard yesterday that a dear friend of mine just lost a family member to suicide, my fear subsided and it felt like the right thing to share with our newsletter community. We are raising $40,000 for Suicide Prevention in Construction through a 100-mile race. We’d love your support. We are deeply grateful for many of you who have already supported the cause.

I never thought I would try to run 100 miles at once. And I am thrilled to share with you a challenge I’ve set: On April 13th, I will be participating in the Rim Runner Trail Race in Sewanee, TN, marking my first endeavor into the world of 100-mile races. 100 miles in one go, and it is for a special reason... Suicide Prevention in Construction.

This journey is not just a physical test but a personal one. Over 3 years ago, I found myself at a crossroads, grappling with depression and uncertainty about my future. It was during this period that my sister (pictured with me below) introduced me to trail running. This simple activity helped me regain my physical health, leading me to explore techniques like meditation, which have been instrumental in managing my mental health.

Working in construction, I’ve become aware of the mental health challenges we face. With a suicide rate 3.5 times the national average, the urgency cannot be overstated.

Having been close to the edge myself, I feel a strong personal commitment to make a difference in the lives of those in the industry.

To this end, I’ve joined forces with my friend, Dr. Vince Hafeli, D.B.A., President of Ajax Paving Industries of Florida, LLC to embark on a mission to raise $40,000 for suicide prevention in construction. A week after the 100-miler, the 2024 Construction Hike for Hope that Vince founded will take place in Florida. To kickstart the campaign, I am pledging to personally match the first $20,000 in donations.

We need your support to reach our goal. To contribute, please follow the link below, click ‘donate here’. Your support means more than you can imagine – together, we can bring about real change.

Thank you for your generosity, encouragement, and belief in this cause.

We’re Growing!! 🦾

In less than a week, we welcomed two new team members to Edgevanta, Alex Lopez and Ted Rectangus.

Alex joins us as a full stack engineer out of NY (The Bronx!) and Ted is a customer success manager living in NOLA where he previously worked at Levelset, a successful construction tech startup.

Our team of all stars is growing to meet client demand. We couldn’t be more thrilled to have these two board. Welcome to the team, Alex and Ted !!!

Things From The Web This Week:

Green Concrete is a booming business …. Will asphalt be next?

40 Harsh Truths I Know at 40 but Wish I Knew at 20 …. Mark Manson entertains

Stoic Wisdom Quote

“Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity” - General George S. Patton

Reflect on this as we embark on another week of bidding and building!

We value your feedback. Tell us what you think about this week’s newsletter below

Warmly,

Tristan

About the Author

Tristan Wilson is the CEO and Co-Founder of Edgevanta. We make software that helps contractors win more work at the right price. He is a 4th Generation Contractor, construction enthusiast, bidding nerd, ultramarathoner, and paving nut. He worked his way up the ladder at Allan Myers in the Mid-Atlantic and his family’s former business Barriere Construction before starting Edgevanta with his Co-Founder Matt in Nashville, where the company is based. Reach out to him at [email protected]