It was 11:25 this past Sunday morning. Chilly, gloomy, and a few hours after a constant downpour throughout the night had finally ended. Truly, it was the perfect morning to stay in bed a few more hours.
At that precise time, near the Southwest corner of Delaware Park’s Ring Road, Max Montante and his close friend, Nick Ennis, collapsed into their lounge chairs under a tent, with family and friends looking on and ready to respond to any need they may have. After a few minutes, Max opened his eyes, looked at the fit bit on his right arm, smiled, and extended a fist bump to Nick.
“We did it,” Max said in a near whisper. “80 miles. The first 50 running and then 30 walking. But we have 30 minutes to go. Time for one final lap.”
One lap around Delaware Park’s Ring Road is 1.8 miles or 4,000 steps and it generally takes 33 minutes to complete. After a couple sips of Gatorade, Max, Nick and another close friend, Jack Pfalzgraf began their final lap of the first MIND OVER MILES: 24-HOUR CHALLENGE with more than 50 family members and friends walking behind and cheering as the trio closed in on a goal set two months ago that could be a local record for fund raising success.
Max and Nick, avid elite athletes throughout their lives who had recently completed their first triathlon (Bike 56 miles; Swim 1.2 miles; Run 13.1 miles), were relaxing in the sauna after a workout two months ago when the conversation turned to the increase in suicides of young men and women and several of their friends and associates suffering with mental health issues.
Together with their friend, Pfalzgraf, these 25 years young, successful businessmen who have a strong philanthropy background from their families and school, decided they needed to do something big—a WOW event—to raise funds but mostly awareness for these two growing problems in society. Since they all love to run, they brainstormed ideas until they created the MIND OVER MILES: 24 HOUR CHALLENGE with an initial fundraising goal of $30,000.
“This incredible endeavor is more than just a run; it is a mission to ignite conversations, break stigmas, and offer hope to those battling mental health challenges. Through this event we aim to shed light on the importance of mental wellness and the need for accessible support systems,” they announced on their GoFundMe page. With funds still coming in, they have raised more than $50,000 with all proceeds going towards the Western New York Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital Psychiatric Clinic.
“I just have a whole lot of gratitude for those who showed up during this 24-hour challenge, those who donated, and those who spent the night with us,” said an extremely happy but exhausted Montante just before walking the final lap. “It’s a privilege and honor for us to do this for the cause of suicide prevention and mental health awareness. I am just super happy with the results.”
Nick, looking at all those who arrived that morning to help them finish strong, added, “I am overwhelmed with gratitude. You have family, your best friends, and the community coming together to support such a worthy cause. This is not about us. This is not about the run. It is all about expanding conversations about mental health.
“Max, Jack, and I have grown up around it—many of our friends struggle with it and while our generation is the most connected, it is also the most disconnected and that is why it is important for individuals our age to ask questions when our mind is not feeling right and we must dig deeper than the surface level to find out why,” he eloquently added.
Max Montante, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Monday, attended Canisius High School, graduated from Northeastern University and is the founder of Maxwell Montante Studios. Nick Ennis, who graduated from Nichols and the University of Colorado at Boulder, is Vice President of his family’s Continental Paper and Plastics Corporation. Jack Pfalzgraf, a Nichols School and Miami University of Ohio graduate, is a business development analyst with the SportsService Division of the Delaware North Company.
The Montante Family, from left Carl (CJ) Montante III, Jake Montante, Megan Montante, Wendy Montante, Max Montante, Hannah Reilly, Carl Montante Jr.
As a member of the Montante family, Max was born into philanthropy. It was taught and passed down from his grandparents, Carl J. Montante, Founder and Executive Chairman of Uniland Development and his wife, Carol. Carl Sr., whose company is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, attended Canisius High School and learned from his parents at a young age how and why it was important to give what he could. He was also shown how by the Jesuits at Canisius, where they taught him what “Men For Others” truly meant.
Albert Lewis, right, a personal trainer at the JCC on Delaware Avenue, who has run in the Urban Run Series with Max and Nick, was so impressed by what they were doing that he volunteered to run and walk with them and over the 24 hours he ran 26 miles, which is the equivalent of a marathon.
“Max has certainly taken our family’s philosophy of giving back to our community to a whole other level,” explained his dad, Carl J. Montante, Jr., Uniland’s Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Initiatives. “It is hard to fathom what he and Nick are doing and will continue to do with this Mind over Miles event and the cause it supports.
“They feel very strongly about making an impact on mental health awareness and suicide prevention. A nearly impossible goal of running 80 miles in 24 hours will quickly get someone’s attention,” he added with pride. “They are so enthusiastic, passionate, and motivated by this issue.
“It is important they do this because these are issues you almost fear on a daily basis in the workplace and in the home,” Montante Jr. added. “It is a reality we all must deal with to overcome these challenges. We have found communication is a key part of dealing with mental health issues—it is okay to open up to people and talk about the feelings you are dealing with in your head.
“When those suffering from mental health issues have the courage to get real and have real conversations, you often find people are dealing with similar issues and you are hardly alone,” he said.
Along with their youngest child, Max, he and his wife, Wendy, are the parents of Carl J. III, better known as C.J., 29, Jake, 28, and Megan, 27. “I am super proud of these boys for doing this,” explained Wendy who was one of the volunteers with her husband, her children, her father-in-law and the parents and friend of the other boys.
“Carl and I have always stressed communication with our kids and how important it is to have someone to talk with—either of us as parents or their brothers or sister. We instilled in each of them to be there for each other and they have.
“Unfortunately, over the past several years, Max in particular, has been touched by tragedy through a mental health aspect,” she explained. “Sadly, there is a stigma that exists among young boys to not reach out and talk about these issues. Max and Nick recognize that, and they genuinely want to break down those stigmas.”
Max’s oldest brother, C.J., stood with pride as he watched them running around the park early Sunday morning. “When Max first told me about this amazing event, my first reaction was ‘How can I help?’” C.J. said. “The passion of Max and Nick is unmatched so I knew they would get this done. They looked at what was needed to accomplish their goal and they contacted the Olmstead Park Conservancy and the City of Buffalo for the proper permits and off they went. Once they shared this with their buddies, they were all in, asking what they could bring to help out. It was amazing to watch this all unfold.”
Regarding the family’s philosophy behind corporate and individual philanthropy, C.J. explained: “It all began with our grandfather long before any of us were alive. From the earliest I can remember, we were taught and shown that giving back in our community is not just a privilege, but it is a duty, and we just must do it.
“A lot of it began with our Jesuit education at Canisius High School where we learned what Men for Others truly meant. Giving back and helping others in need has never been forced on us but it has just been part of our family that it is not even a thought—it just comes second hand for all of us and our cousins.”
C.J., co-founder of MGM Coaching and the founder and CEO of Terzo Development, strongly believes the cause Max and his friends are running for is so important today.
“There is a horrible stigma behind talking about your issues with mental health, about going to therapy and behind seeking help” he said. “The goals behind MIND OVER MILES: 24 HOUR CHALLENGE is let’s change all that thinking. Let’s do something positive about it and actually talk about it and have open, honest conversations so someone can actually get the help they really need without feeling ashamed by it.”
Max’s Aunt Laura Montante Zaepfel, Uniland’s Vice President of Corporate Relations, stood in awe after walking around the Delaware Park Ring Road loop several times. “This was truly amazing to witness,” she said. “They are two incredibly inspiring young men who together created this Mind Over Miles organization to bring attention and support for mental health awareness. They are both Ironmen competitors who combined their love for physical health with the awareness of mental health.
“The unbelievable 24-hour, 80-mile event was not just evidence of their physical endurance but was meant to raise vital awareness and support for pediatric mental health and suicide prevention. Their work and determination remind us of the importance of breaking the barriers of all ages and fostering a culture of understanding and empathy.
“These past 24 hours were a powerful display of courage and compassion. I could not be prouder of Max and Nick,” she added.
Max Montante successfully crosses the finish line of the MIND OVER MILES: 24 Hour Challenge Sunday at noon in Delaware Park. Nick Ennis is on his left and Jack Pfalzgraf on the right.
When Max was asked what they did when it began raining very early on Sunday morning, he responded: “We were still chugging along. We ran the first 50 miles but sometime early this morning, we began walking—it was all we had left in us.
He added: “When it began raining harder and harder, we pushed through. We persevered. Mind over Miles. That is what we do.”
Lead image: It’s Over. From left, Nick, Max and Jack hold the sign that greeted them at the finish line at noon on Sunday.
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