Friends and family remember Westside student Jack Meehan with second annual kickball event

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Good can come from tragedy. Saturday, the community came together to remember Jack Meehan.

Jack was a sophomore at Westside High School when he died by suicide two years ago. This is the second year his friends organized a kickball tournament in his honor.

The event was located at Rockbrook Elementary School where 14 teams participated. Kids of all ages enjoyed kickball, dancing, and lively music.

Jack’s friends hope this annual event is a fun way to bring people together and show them they’re not alone.

”You’re never alone,” said Jackson Gutta, event organizer and a close friend to Jack. “And with all of these mental health problems and stuff and COVID, it’s hard on kids. It’s hard on adults. It’s hard on everyone. So you really have to know you’re never alone. And there’s always people for you. And I think this is a good way of showing that everyone is here for you because you really get to see in-person how many people are showing up and how much support you’re going to get.”

Donations were collected and several thousand dollars will be going towards the West Side High School Hope Squad.

The Hope Squad is a suicide awareness and prevention organization.

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