A Demarest teacher honored her former student while raising awareness for suicide prevention Saturday.

Jordan Falco took his own life on April 29, 2020 after battling years of depression.

His former band and music teacher, Lauren Delesky and Falco's family and friends ran over six miles at Northern Valley Regional High School to raise awareness for mental health.

Delesy dedicated the first mile to Falco's mother, second to his father, third to his brother and fourth to her students carrying on the memory of the young man who was cherished by many.

As part of the run, Delesky raised over $6,000 for the organization Still I Run with a goal of stopping the stigma around mental health issues.

"It was devastating not to be able to hold each other and grieve and go through that as a music community," Delesky says. "And it took us until now and putting this event together for me to actually grieve."

A memorial ceremony for Falco will take place in Demarest at the gazebo near Duck Pond on May 23.