Brattleboro Retreat Hosts 6th Annual “Ride for Heroes” on Saturday, August 15—Motorcycle Event to Benefit Uniformed Service Program
The Brattleboro Retreat will host the 6th Annual Ride for Heroes event starting at 10:00 am on Saturday August 15th with registration beginning at 9 am. The motorcycle ride starts at the Brattleboro Retreat and ends with a barbeque lunch on the beautiful Retreat campus.
This is the sixth annual Ride for Heroes in support of the Retreat’s Uniformed Service Program (USP). USP offers specialized trauma and addiction treatment for people who are, or have been, active in the military, police, fire, EMS, and corrections services. According to USP data, professionals in uniform are more likely to have witnessed or experienced life-threatening events and human tragedy that can lead to serious stress disorders and other duty-related problems with alcohol and drug addiction, anxiety, and depression.
“I am very proud of our Uniformed Service Program and the many individuals, present and past, who have sought our help,” said Dr. Robert E. Simpson, president and chief executive officer of the Brattleboro Retreat. “We are working every day to help people who regularly put their lives on the line but rarely receive or ask for the help they need to cope with the stresses of the job.”
This is the second year the Ride for Heroes organizers are encouraging participants to raise additional funds as “Ride Champions.” Ride Champions raise $100 or more from family and friends to support the USP, and have helped raise more than $5,000 for the event to date. In return, Ride Champions receive complimentary registration, prizes and giveaways, and the satisfaction of giving back to those who serve in uniform. For those interested in fundraising as a Ride Champion, more information can be found at www.brattlebororetreat.org/rideforheroes.
The escorted ride will begin at 10:00 am and will follow a route through southern Vermont’s scenic hills and valleys, by rivers and historic villages. After leaving the Retreat on Route 30 north, this year’s ride will take bikers through the towns of West Dummerston, Newfane, Townshend, Grafton, Saxtons River, Westminster West, Putney, and East Dummerston. Law enforcement advises motorists to be prepared for brief traffic delays as the ride passes through these towns.
Standard registration is $25 per person and includes both the ride and barbeque lunch. The first 200 riders to register will receive a free t-shirt. The afternoon will include music and vendors as well as raffles and prizes with many items donated by local businesses. This is an alcohol and smoke free event, and will be held rain or shine. While participants must be 18 years of age or older to ride, all adult riders and types of motorcycles are welcome.
Major sponsors for this event include Platinum Sponsors The Richards Group, Sodexo, and WKVT Radio, as well as Gold Sponsors Brattleboro Ford Subaru, Brattleboro Pharmacy, Chroma Technology, Communicators Group, GS Precision, and Monadnock Harley Davidson. Silver Sponsors include Brown Computer Solutions, Fairpoint Communications, GPI Construction, Drs. Drew Pate & Tess Carpenter, and Stop & Go Instant Oil Change. For more information and directions, please contact Rob Szpila at 802-258-4318 or email [email protected] or visit www.brattlebororetreat.org/rideforheroes.
The Brattleboro Retreat, founded in 1834, is a not-for-profit, regional specialty psychiatric hospital and addictions treatment center, providing a full range of diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitation services for individuals of all ages and their families. Nationally recognized for its premier treatment in behavioral healthcare, the Brattleboro Retreat offers a high quality, individualized, comprehensive continuum of care including inpatient, partial hospitalization, residential and outpatient treatment.
United States