Mac Dorris, founder of the Ride for Mental Health (Photo by The Ride For Mental Health)
The Ride For Mental Health
The Ride For Mental Health announced it will hold its annual ride this year, but in a different format due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Ride’s organizers decided to pivot to “Ride Together, but Ride Apart” with riders taking on their own individual rides in their cities and towns, neighborhoods and parks, or in their homes, sharing on social media and encouraging and supporting mental health awareness.
Riders are invited to register online here and join The Ride For Mental Health group on Strava, a mobile app that connects cyclists and runners. The Ride’s Strava group will allow all riders anywhere around the world to see the routes that participants ride and keep track of mileage and elevation during the course of the summer. Special weekends throughout the summer will be designated for a variety of accomplishments with prizes—from riding to fundraising to the best route photo. The event starts on May 22 and ends Sept. 7.
Founded in 2017 by Mac Dorris in honor of his late son who suffered from a mental illness, Dorris hopes The Ride For Mental Health will help to eliminate the stigma surrounding mental illness and alleviate some of the barriers to care that exist for patients.
“Mental illness is one of the biggest health challenges facing our society today, affecting people from childhood through adulthood,” stated Dorris, of Brooklyn. “2020 has thrown us some new challenges but what makes the Ride special hasn’t changed. This year’s routes will be your neighborhood, your parks and trails. Keep riding, continue to raise awareness, end the stigma associated with mental illness.”
Mental health has been thrust to the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis; now more than ever, mental health support, access, and awareness are critical.
To register to ride, visit www.bikereg.com/the-ride-for-mental-health-2020. Join the Strava group at www.strava.com/clubs/the-ride-for-mental-health-651768.
All proceeds from the Ride go directly to benefit the programs and services of McLean Hospital, a world-renowned Harvard Medical School affiliate.
The Ride for Mental Health began in 2017, and is one of the first rides in the country to benefit mental health. The proceeds raised are donated to McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate and international center for psychiatric treatment, education, and research. Money raised goes directly to the education, research, and treatment of mental illness including anxiety, borderline personality disorder, depression, eating disorders, and substance abuse. Since its inception, the Ride has donated over $425,000 to McLean Hospital for education, research, and treatment of mental illness. The Ride for Mental Health (Eric’s Ride Inc.) is registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.