Smithtown's Jeremy Thode Walking To All Suffolk High Schools to Raise Mental Health Awareness

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Smithtown resident Jeremy Thode, who serves as the athletic director for the Center Moriches School District, wants to raise awareness of mental health among teens.

So Thode, a former president of the board of education for the Smithtown Central School District, is spending Thanksgiving week walking to all 59 Suffolk County Section XI high schools. His 300-mile journey over six days takes him to Smithtown High School East and High School West on Tuesday afternoon.

His walk was chronicled in Newsday this week.

Both Smithtown high schools supported Thode’s effort. At East, signs were placed at the front entrance with messages including, “East is walking with you,” “You will not walk alone,” and “Together.”