Payne prepping for annual Kicks Memorial Bike Ride on Sept. 7

A Red Oak man will once again be making a trek across Iowa to honor the loss of a friend and raise mental health awareness.
Nate Payne will once again be taking to the roads as part of the Kicks Memorial Bike Ride for Mental Health. The first day of the ride will take him around 59 miles from Spirit Lake to Storm Lake. Day two, roughly 31 miles, will take Payne from Storm Lake to Wall Lake. On Day three, roughly 53 miles, Payne will travel from wall Lake to Prairie Roase Lake, and on Day 4, the roughly 43 mile ride will see Payne travel from Prairie Rose Lake back to Red Oak.
This will be the third year Payne has done the ride, and said that he doesn’t do it for recognition.
“I’m just a guy that didn’t know how to cope with losing my best friend. In 2024, I lost my best friend to suicide. I had two choices, I could mourn him and eventually move on and kind of celebrate his life here and there. Or I could chase change, and so I decided to dedicate my life to chasing change. So in 2024, that was the first time I rode my bike across Iowa,” said Payne.
Payne added there’s much more to the ride than the travel. He also does the ride as a method of reaching out.
“I stop at all city parks, gas stations, anywhere people are, and I just offer hugs, conversation to people, and kind of spread a message of hope and to keep going. Last year when I did it, I followed the same route, and I had some friends with me, and I’m going to do it again this year on Sept. 7.
Payne also said that the ride isn’t a fundraiser, and is strictly about raising awareness.
“I don’t accept money, I don’t accept anything, basically. The ride is strictly me wanting to chase change, and this is the way I do it. One thing I do is riding my bike there. I’m not a biker, I don’t care about the miles. I strictly just want to show myself where people are. Talking about it on Facebook or social media is one thing, but sometimes you just got to be where the people are. And sometimes that person walking in a gas station isn’t the happiest person in the world. Seeing me with my sign helps them a little bit,” stated Payne.
As the Kicks Memorial Bike Ride has become a regular event, Payne said he’s expanded his own knowledge regarding mental health.
“I have resources I hand out. I don’t just go out there as an untrained person. I give people resources for 988, the Suicide and crisis Helpline; for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or (NAMI,) for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP,), and the Healthy State Initiative for Iowa. I am Healthiest State Initiative endorsed. They sent me some resources this year as well,” commented Payne.
Payne added a number of people have become interested in his journey, but bringing them all along is impossible.
“Not everyone can go with me, so I’ve got mental health ribbons, and I’ve given people an opportunity to send me a name, someone they lost themselves that are dealing with mental health issues, or someone that’s in their family that’s dealing with a mental health issue. I take those names, I put it on a ribbon, and I pin it to my bike with me so all those people are going with me when I ride. As of right now, I have more than 200 names, and I don’t have that big of a reach. The fact that I’m able to get 200 names by myself should say a lot about what we have going on in our country. I’ve got a bunch of names right now that I’ve still got to put on there,” advised Payne.
When Payne returns to Red Oak on Sept. 10, he’ll be given a special escort back into town.
“The Red Oak Police Department has graciously offered to escort me into town on my final day. It’s an honor for them to escort me into town, and it’s not just because they’re giving me the recognition or whatever. It’s the fact that our police department sees this as a big enough problem to escort me into town. They’re the first ones that actually see the crisis when it’s happening and are the first ones to deal with it. EMTs, police departments, anyone at the hospital, they’re going to see it quicker than non-counselors or anyone else,” said Payne. “They’re the ones that have to take that home with them and carry that burden with them. They’ve got to go home to their families, and they’ve got to try to put on a strong face. So they may be struggling just as much as the person they’re helping.”
Payne also said that if anyone tells him that if they say they’re not going through a struggle personally, and/or say they don’t know someone personally going through an issue, they’re likely not telling the truth.
“That’s the problem in this country right now. There’s a stigma on it. There’s a weakness to it that if you come up and say, ‘hey, I’m struggling, I need help,’ that people are just going to tell you to keep your mouth shut, get a job, do whatever you’ve got to do, and move forward. But sometimes it’s not all that easy. All of our brains are different, and everyone struggles a different way. That pain someone’s carrying is stronger than I’ll ever understand, and a lot of us may never understand it. A simple conversation, a simple hug can literally save someone’s life. And I’m very, very passionate about that.”
While Payne said he can do a lot to raise awareness on his own, he’s still just one person.
Ultimately, it’s going to come down to a community. I want to challenge all of you to find a way to make Red Oak the leader in mental health, providing the resources right there in the moment. If I call someone right now and say, ‘I’m feeling depressed, and I think I need help today or tomorrow,’ it may take two or three weeks for me to get any kind of appointment. I can call 988, and I can talk to someone on the phone, but that phone’s eventually going to hang up. We need people here in town. We do have some mental health therapy here, but they’re not available at midnight, and people are really struggling. I really want us to have those
resources in town, but I don’t know how to get them,” explained Payne. “I challenge the city to see if we can come up with something. I’m more than willing to help. I’ve got allies in NAMI, 988, wherever we need. I can start making phone calls, having meetings if needed.”
The City of Red Oak issued a proclamation recognizing Payne’s upcoming ride. The proclamation is as follows:
“We know that mental health touches our community in many ways, and your efforts help bring attention to the importance of supporting those who may be struggling. As you approach Red Oak on your final day, as you said, the Red Oak Police Department will be escorting you on Highway 48 into town to finish at Fountain Square.
We just want to recognize again your courage, commitment, and determination that inspires others and strengthens our communities.
On behalf of the City Council and the citizens of Red Oak, we recognize and commend your dedication to mental health, mental health awareness, and for your inspiring and keep-going mission.”