At American Rider, we believe that military veterans deserve our support, so we’re happy to hear that the Veterans Charity Ride (VCR) will once again hold three events this year in which vets use motorcycles as therapy. Additionally, in partnership with Indian Motorcycle, VCR has announced June as Veteran Motorcycle Therapy Month. The three VCR programs will take place during the month of June and give veterans a space to heal and adjust to civilian life in the company of other vets.
“We created the Veterans Charity Ride to give back to our vets who have sacrificed so much and provide them with a support structure that will get them back outside and allow them to live life to the fullest,” said Dave Frey, Veterans Charity Ride founder.
In another bit of good news, participation this year will be double what it was for the 2022 rides. Each of the three rides will welcome 25 veterans for a few days of motorcycle therapy rides, outdoor adventures, camaraderie-building activities, banquets, and more. The first ride starts in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the next two start from Moab, Utah.
For more information about Veterans Charity Ride programs, read the press release below and consider lending a helping hand.
MINNEAPOLIS (May 30, 2023) – Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, today announced its continued support and sponsorship of the Veterans Charity Ride (VCR), a veteran-led, nonprofit organization specializing in motorcycle therapy to help post-combat veterans heal and recover from physical and mental conditions. In its ninth year partnering, Indian Motorcycle and VCR have announced June as Veteran Motorcycle Therapy Month – activating three motorcycle therapy programs within the month of June.
Many of the veterans joining the VCR for the first time are amputees, paraplegics, or suffer from post-traumatic stress and other issues veterans face after leaving the military. The 2023 rides will host 25 veterans, each pairing new veterans with returning VCR veteran mentors who have already been through VCR’s program. The goal of the program is to support each new veteran as they transition back to civilian life through camaraderie, motorcycle adventures, and additional programs that maximize the brotherhood and sisterhood formed throughout all branches of the United States military.
“We’re excited to return for another year of motorcycle therapy with support from Indian Motorcycle, as so many of our vets used to ride before their injuries and thought they would never ride again,” said Dave Frey, Veterans Charity Ride founder. “We created the Veterans Charity Ride to give back to our vets who have sacrificed so much and provide them with a support structure that will get them back outside and allow them to live life to the fullest.”
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Veteran Motorcycle Therapy Month will feature three independent programs, each hosting new veterans with diverse backgrounds from various branches of the military. Each program will include various outdoor activities, motorcycle therapy rides, and veteran-to-veteran discussions. Each VCR program is thoughtfully curated to create a welcoming environment for veterans to comfortably open up and address their daily challenges as they transition to civilian life.
The 2023 Veteran Motorcycle Therapy Month event schedule consists of the following:
May 30-June 5: Salt Lake City, Utah
Starting in Salt Lake City, the first group of veterans will ride the backroads to Moab. The National Ability Center (NAC) in Park City will provide lodging and support for adventure activities, as the group continues with motorcycle therapy rides and team-building exercises.
June 10-20: Moab, Utah
This program originates in Moab with motorcycle therapy rides in and around the backroads of Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. VCR will attend and participate in the Indian Motorcycle-sponsored Durango Rendezvous (DR) event in Durango, Colorado. The group will lead a veteran ride on the Million Dollar Highway, which will culminate at the Sky Ute Hotel & Casino with a special veteran welcome and banquet with entertainment and fundraising raffle to support VCR and its programs.
June 24-30: Moab, Utah
The final program will also begin in Moab. Motorcycle therapy rides will run in and around the backroads of Utah and Colorado. The group will participate in various outdoor adventure activities, including an off-road excursion to Gateway Colorado. There, the group will visit the unique Gateway Auto Museum, which showcases one of the best collections of classic American cars in the world.
In addition to its motorcycle therapy programming, VCR is excited to gift veteran Jeremy Breece with a modified Indian Scout with VCR sidecar. Breece is a double amputee who first joined a VCR ride last year as a sidecar passenger. His joy from being on the road again was so evident that, this year, the organization decided to help his healing process by gifting him an adapted Indian Scout sidecar rig.
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“We’re proud to be entering our ninth year of supporting the Veterans Charity Ride, as each year we see the incredible impact these rides and programs have on the participating vets,” said Aaron Jax, vice president for Indian Motorcycle. “The work that Dave and Sue Frey put into this program, to literally be changing these vets’ lives, is remarkable. It’s an honor to have a role in supporting such a cause.”
The Veterans Charity Ride was created by veteran Army Paratrooper Dave Frey and leverages the therapeutic effects of motorcycle riding to create an adventure of a lifetime for wounded and amputee combat veterans adjusting to post-war life.
To support the Veterans Charity Ride, donate, or to learn more visit Indian Motorcycle’s website and Veterans Charity Ride’s website. Riders can also follow along on Indian Motorcycle’s social media channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and Veterans Charity Ride’s social media channels: Facebook and Twitter.
