Wyoming
Jae Foundation Raises Mental Health Awareness Across High Schools In Wyoming – SweetwaterNOW
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.
The 2026 postseason has arrived for Wyoming High School boys’ basketball teams in Class 3A and 4A. They participate in regional tournaments from Thursday through Saturday. The regionals will be in Buffalo, Evanston, Gillette, and Lovell. Three sites will use the format: two wins qualify a team for the state tournament next week in Casper, or two losses eliminate a team. The 4A East Region has three loser-out first-round games on Thursday, followed by two days of games for seeding. The 4A East Regular Season champ draws a first-round bye and has qualified for the state tournament.
WYOPREPS 3A-4A BOYS BASKETBALL REGIONAL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULES
Except in the 4A East Regional, Friday starts with elimination games. The regional semifinals are on Friday night. The final seeds for next week’s state tournament will be determined on Saturday. The schedules below for this weekend are based on the brackets sent to WyoPreps. It is subject to change.
THURSDAY, MARCH 5:
Final Score: (3) Pinedale 58 (6) Mountain View 40
Final Score: (2) Cody 58 (7) Powell 46
Final Score: (1) Lovell 75 (8) Lyman 43
Final Score: (4) Lander 65 (5) Worland 40
FRIDAY, MARCH 6:
Game 5: Mountain View vs. Powell, noon – loser out
Game 6: Lyman vs. Worland, 1:30 p.m. – loser out
Game 7: Pinedale vs. Cody, 6 p.m. – semifinal
Game 8: Lovell vs. Lander, 7:30 p.m. – semifinal
SATURDAY, MARCH 7:
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 11 a.m. – loser out
Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 11 a.m. – loser out (at LMS)
Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 5 p.m. – 3rd Place Game
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 2 p.m. – Championship Game
THURSDAY, MARCH 5:
Final Score: (3) Douglas 85 (6) Rawlins 50
Final Score: (2) Wheatland 57 (7) Burns 40
Final Score: (5) Torrington 35 (4) Newcastle 28
Final Score: (1) Buffalo 69 (8) Glenrock 44
FRIDAY, MARCH 6:
Game 5: Rawlins vs. Burns, noon – loser out
Game 6: Newcastle vs. Glenrock, 1:30 p.m. – loser out
Game 7: Douglas vs. Wheatland, 6 p.m. – semifinal
Game 8: Torrington vs. Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. – semifinal
SATURDAY, MARCH 7:
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, noon – loser out
Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 1:30 p.m. – loser out
Game 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, 7:30 p.m. – 3rd Place Game (if necessary)
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4:30 p.m. – Championship Game
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THURSDAY, MARCH 5:
Final Score: (NW-3) Kelly Walsh 64 (SW-2) Riverton 49
Final Score: (NW-1) Natrona County 77 (SW-4) Jackson 23
Final Score: (NW-2) Green River 50 (SW-3) Evanston 40
Final Score: (SW-1) Star Valley 62 (NW-4) Rock Springs 60 – Erickson makes a turnaround jumper at the buzzer off an offensive rebound for the Braves.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6:
Game 5: Riverton vs. Jackson, noon – loser out
Game 6: Evanston vs. Rock Springs, 1:30 p.m. – loser out
Game 7: Kelly Walsh vs. Natrona County, 6:30 p.m. – semifinal
Game 8: Green River vs. Star Valley, 8 p.m. – semifinal
SATURDAY, MARCH 7:
Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 7, 11:30 a.m. – loser out
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Loser Game 8, 1 p.m. – loser out
Game 11: Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 11, 4:30 p.m. – 3rd Place Game (at EMS)
Game 12: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 4:30 p.m. – Championship Game
THURSDAY, MARCH 5:
Game 1: (1) Sheridan = Bye
Final Score: (2) Cheyenne Central 75 (7) Cheyenne South 35 – Bison are eliminated
Final Score: (3) Thunder Basin 75 (6) Laramie 59 – Plainsmen are eliminated; Bolts qualify for state
Final Score: (4) Campbell County 59 (5) Cheyenne East 39 – loser out; Thunderbirds are eliminated; Camels qualify for state.
FRIDAY, MARCH 6:
Game 6: Cheyenne Central vs. Thunder Basin, 4:30 p.m. – semifinal
Game 5: Sheridan vs. Campbell County, 7:30 p.m. – semifinal
SATURDAY, MARCH 7:
Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Loser Game 6, 11:30 a.m. – 3rd Place Game
Game 8: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 2:30 p.m. – Championship Game
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Photos from game action at the James Johnson Winter Showcase tournament in Cheyenne.
Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Shannon Dutcher
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