SWEETWATER COUNTY — A nonprofit born from loss, friendship and a graveside promise brought its message of mental health awareness and suicide prevention to Sweetwater County this week, delivering cowboy boots and conversation to seniors at Black Butte High School.

The Jae Foundation centers its outreach around “Boot-Check Moments,” intentional check-ins prompted by cowboy boots meant to symbolize belonging, purpose and connection.

The program is rooted in the life of Jae Bing, a Pinedale native known for his love of cowboy boots, fishing and people. Jae died by suicide in 2016 at the age of 27. His longtime friend Jason started the foundation as a commitment to his friend that something good, amazing, and transformational would emerge from the darkness.

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At Jae’s funeral, Jason noticed two things that stayed with him, the diversity of people who came to mourn, regardless of faith or background, and the overwhelming number of cowboy boots worn in Jae’s honor.

After the burial, Jason returned alone to Jae’s grave, where he made a promise that something good would come from the tragedy.

That promise eventually became the Jae Foundation.

Growing up in Pinedale, Jason and Jae attended school, activities and celebrated milestones together. Jae, adopted from South Korea by the Bing family, stood out as a Korean cowboy in a predominantly white, rural town. Friends remember him for his charisma, humor and constant concern for others.

“From the outside, it looked like he was on top of the world,” said Wyoming Outreach Coordinator Julie Mackey, “but unfortunately, he was not doing okay.”

Jason last spoke with Jae days before his death. The news came through a phone call from his father on a Sunday morning. Jason later described that day as one of the hardest of his life.

The organization struggled to find its footing in its early years, including a period when little progress was made and the nonprofit’s bank account sat dormant. Momentum finally came years later during a visit to Pinedale’s Cowboy Shop, when Jason bought a friend his first pair of cowboy boots, a moment he described as the beginning of healing.

Today, the foundation’s High School Senior Boot Program has expanded across Wyoming. Every graduating senior at Black Butte High School, along with several early graduates, received a pair of boots during the event, funded through local fundraising, donations and community support.

“These are not just any boots, they’re a reminder that you are loved, valued, needed and that you belong here,” Mackey told the students.

The foundation’s presence reflects growing efforts to address youth mental health through community-based approaches, especially in Wyoming, which has long struggled with high suicide rates.

After students tried on their boots, they were asked to look around the room, a visual reminder that everyone’s boots were different, just as everyone’s story is different.

The foundation’s message is simple, boot-check others and don’t walk alone.