MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – Hundreds laced up their shoes Sunday morning to honor a life lost too soon.
The Jordan DeMay 5K and 10K run brought the community together at the Lakeview YMCA, all proceeds benefiting the Jordan DeMay IGOTYOU Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to his memory. Jordan DeMay was a 17-year-old Marquette teen who died in March 2022 after being targeted and manipulated through social media by two Nigerian brothers, who have since been convicted.
Sunday’s race drew hundreds of runners and walkers along the bike path toward Presque Isle Park.
Race Director Nina Vandenende says the event was born out of a community’s need to grieve together. “When Jordan died, our community was obviously shook and very sad, and I wanted a place where his friends, and students, and their parents could come and be together,” says Vandenede. “To come together and share memories and have some joy.”
The Jordan DeMay IGOTYOU Foundation continues to raise awareness around online safety and sextortion.
