Soldiers make stop in Columbus during 22-day ride for mental health awareness in veterans

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) – May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and a group of soldiers is teaming up with a nonprofit for a 22-day ride.

They are working to bring awareness to suicide and mental health issues.

Soldiers taking a ride around the United States with one main goal, mental health awareness for veterans.

After riding more than 6,000 miles for this cause, three active-duty soldiers and one retired soldier stopped at Columbus Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post 665.

One of the riders, Clark Castle, says it’s not just about raising money. Instead, they are riding for an even more significant cause.

“It’s more about getting the resource awareness out there and meeting the different veterans and service record communities throughout the United States that we have,” Castle explained.

This motorcycle group took a pit stop here in Columbus, refueling and conversing with other veterans in the Chattahoochee Valley.

Columbus VFW came together and made sure these riders had a place to stay tonight.

“Feels awesome we just play a little part here and there I’ve been able to provide a place for them to stay we got some good food in there some veterans all walks and sizes in here band together share some stories some good stories about wanting to help each veteran,” said Quartermaster of VFW 665, Brent Eaton.

The group started in Virginia and has raised more than $12,000 so far.

They intend for this ride to be different than others. They would rather it be a ride to provide the tools to vets in need instead of a remembrance ride.

‘’And if we can get somebody help before they go into that dark spiral that’s what our rides about, we don’t ever want to do a remembrance ride of something that we’ve already lost,” expressed Castle.

They will pull out and head to Savannah, Georgia, and they welcome anyone with a motorcycle to join them on Saturday morning.

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