The story behind LeeWok Festival

A conversation with Ryan.

The LeeWok Music and Arts Festival is a standout feature on our annual calendar. Both the festival and the Adventure Race hold a special place in our hearts, for good reason. We thought this was a good opportunity to pause and reflect on the story behind LeeWok. Who better than to tell us about it than Ryan Randall, co-founder of OpenMIND.

OpenMIND LeeWok Festival

Hi, Ryan! For those of us that might not know the history, can you take us through the story behind OpenMIND?

OpenMIND was created by my brother Brady and me. We felt there was an underlying stigma towards mental health, and people were embarrassed or afraid to talk about it. We wanted to create a non-profit that would address this in our community. We didn’t know exactly how to go about it at first, so we began first by talking about our own story. We had lost our oldest brother Lee to suicide back in 2010, we created OpenMIND in 2015. It was the first time our family really opened up and started talking about our struggles dealing with his death and the more complicated issues of depression. We felt a big part of Lee’s struggles is that he never talked to us about the pain he was in and carried on like everything was fine. So our organization set out to try and change that stigma and let people know it’s ok to talk about their own struggles and that we are here to help.

“It was the first time our family really opened up and started talking about our struggles dealing with his death and the more complicated issues of depression.”

What is your fondest memory of your brother?

Some of my fondest memories are playing basketball in the driveway when we were little. Lee was so driven and determined to win at all costs, but Brady and I would team up together and take him on. We would play to 21 and he would spot us 18 points. We would almost always lose, but every so often we would string some good shots together and sneak out a win. When you are little like that, it felt like we had just slain the dragon. Winning and losing is a part of life, and competition was a part of everything we did growing up, didn’t matter if we were skiing down the mountain, learning to juggle, or as simple as a foot race back home, we were always figuring out what we were made of. We found a way to make everything fun.

The LeeWok festival is a big event for OpenMIND. What's the story behind how it started?

The inspiration for LeeWok came from a little gathering Lee had put together at his house the last year of his life. Lee and Brady had bought my grandparents’ property which sits on 9 acres along the Souris River down in Logan. It is covered in Oak trees and is just a beautiful setting. Lee brought some bands out to play a show after he built a custom stage next to the river. He called the party Ewok Fest (after the little characters in Star Wars that lived amongst the trees). So for our first annual fundraiser, we basically took his idea of the Ewok Fest and turned it up to eleven. We roasted pigs, brought in 10 bands from Minneapolis and the surrounding community, and brought in speakers on mindfulness. We got up on stage and talked about Lee, then gave the attendees tools and techniques on how to deal with their own struggles, but most importantly let them know that its okay to talk about it, and to reach out to your loved ones if you don’t know how to move forward.

What do you look forward to the most at the festival?

Always excited for the bands (I love live music), but probably most excited for the kids’ activities. Kids 12 and under are free at LeeWok so we always get a good showing of kids at the festival. It’s always so fun to watch them play and interact with one another. Tasha Holwegner plans science projects, art projects, and all sorts of activities. Watching kids play with one another brings out my own inner child, and reminds me of the simpler times in my life with my brothers.

“But my biggest piece of advice is to open up your heart to those that you love, be honest if you are struggling, just the simple act of sharing your feelings can help provide relief.”

Many families need a lot of support when it comes to mental health and wellbeing. Do you have any advice for them?

I think our website is a great place to start. OpenMIND has gathered resources to help you identify the symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as the tools to help you manage it. But my biggest piece of advice is to open up your heart to those that you love, be honest if you are struggling, just the simple act of sharing your feelings can help provide relief.

But if you are really struggling for a way forward, please reach out to a professional, a counselor or therapist can give you the proper guidance and a path forward.

And for you, Ryan, what keeps your mental state healthy and strong?

I really focus on my diet first and foremost. If I am eating too much junk food, or if I catch myself drinking on a regular basis, I first try to address that issue. Many people use food and alcohol to cover up their feelings. I then try to get out and go for a run or a hike, being out in nature can do wonders for your mental well-being. I also try to meditate for at least 10 minutes a day, we have a cool Facebook group called “Into the Woods” that Heidi Woods hosts. Each week we try to get together and practice mindfulness in a virtual group setting. Being part of a community gives you belonging and support, it’s important to welcome positive people into your life.
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