Armed with a bike and a helmet, you could call Mark Meier a therapist on wheels.  This Minneapolis native is biking across the country in an effort to raise awareness about depression - including a stop in Maple Grove on Wednesday, July 6.
 
“I’ve stopped in coffee shops and campgrounds and once people realize that I’m biking across the country to talk about depression, the flood gates just seem to open up,” he said.
 
Meier, who suffers from depression himself, started out in San Francisco California at the end of May and plans to end in New York City in late August, a 3600-mile trip. 

Meier is traveling with Bill Dehkes, who drives a decked out RV with the duo’s mission “Working with men to overcome depression” written down the side. Along the way Meier is stopping at several clinics and colleges to talk about his personal bout with depression, but he is finding plenty of people to talk to outside of his scheduled events.
 
“I’m comfortable talking about my battle with depression,” he said. “I don’t consider myself courageous for doing it either, but I do believe it’s easier to relate to an issue like depression through a real story.”
 
Meier is upfront with his struggles. He says he was diagnosed with depression in college and dealt with random attacks of sadness and anxiety but tried to suppress it.
 
“I was too ashamed and embarrassed and decided not to address it,” he said.
 
Through the years Meier landed a great job as a heath administrator, got married, and had three kids, but nothing could quell his depression and he decided to end his life.
 
In that moment, Meier says his daughter started crying in another room and went to check on her.
 
After that he was hospitalized. “Going to the hospital made me refocus,” he said.  “When I left I was still suffering with depression but my wife and I could finally talk about it and build a plan.”

Bill Dehkes, Meier’s cousin through marriage, was shocked to learn the news.

“Mark was the golden boy in the family, he had everything going for him so we were floored to hear about his depression,” he said.  “We just had no idea.”

Now, about ten years after being hospitalized, Meier has his depression under control and has started an organization to help others called the Face It Foundation.

“When he decided to start the foundation I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of,” Dehkes said. “And we decided to kick off the foundation’s beginnings by doing a huge bike ride.”

Both men say it’s the people they have met along the way that keep them going. 

“We have met so many people who have been touched by depression and if we can encourage just one person to get help it will be worth it,” he said.

Meier will make a stop at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Maple Grove on July 6 in conjunction with the church's Journey for Hope event which includes a one mile fun walk, picnic, games and a talk by Meier.

You can learn more about Face It Foundation through its website and you can also track Meier’s progress through his blog.