Join us for…
Ben’s Memorial Mile & Community Festival


We also have exciting news this year: the Downers Grove North & South boys and girls cross-country teams will be participating in Ben's Memorial Mile as part of their summer training programs!
Ben’s Memorial Mile is comprised of timed races on the track for all ages and abilities in addition to other fun activities. It will be held on Saturday, July 23 at 5:00pm at Downers Grove North High School.
There will also be a fundraiser at Chipotle (1203 Ogden Ave, Downers Grove, IL 60515) from 5:00pm – 9:00pm on Wednesday, July 20. Kimmer’s Ice Cream (109 E Front St, Wheaton, IL 60187) will also be hosting a fundraiser that will take place from 12:00pm – 9:00pm on Thursday, July 21.
Looking for other ways you can donate? You can purchase Amazon goods through Amazon’s charitable website smile.amazon.com and select Ben’s Memorial Mile as your charity. A portion of your purchases will be donated to BMM.
Jamie Silver (Ben’s mom) wrote a book about connecting with Ben. You can find Our Forever Ben: Letters from a Loving Mom to Her Son in Spirit, And His Poetic Replies via the link below.
Benjamin Lee Silver was not only a son, brother, cousin, friend, teammate, captain, and fierce competitor—he was also a huge figure in his community: an enthusiastic and empathetic person who positively touched those around him. As a student at Downers Grove North High School, he was a four-time all-state athlete well known for his success on the track and cross-country course. Ben continued his athletic and academic pursuits at Miami University of Ohio, a top liberal-arts institution with a storied athletic history. However, during his college career he had a series of injuries and could not run, and his academics struggled as a result. He began acting erratically, and during the summer of his junior year he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, an often misunderstood and misdiagnosed disorder that typically arises in late adolescence and early adulthood. Though Ben’s struggles with this terrible illness eventually led to him taking his life in July 2015, the influence he had as a family member, friend, teammate, captain, and competitor lives on.
Join us this year for the third-annual running of Ben’s Memorial Mile, a community running event and celebration of life. Regardless of your ability, there will be an event for you! Join us in celebrating Ben’s life, your life, and all lives, all while raising awareness for mental health issues in the United States. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a former all-stater searching for a new personal best or a couch potato—there will be an event for you. Join us!
The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation is committed to alleviating the suffering caused by mental illness by awarding grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research.
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.