Unity Through Motorcycles

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HAS REQUESTED OVER 17 BILLION DOLLARS TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTHCARE AND SUICIDE PREVENTION IN VETERANS. THE NEED FOR ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT VETERANS GROWS EVERY YEAR TO HELP RAISE MONEY AND AWARENESS. AMERICAN LEGION MOTORCYCLIST JOIN TOGETHER IN CAPE CORAL FOR THEIR IN STATE UNITY RIDE WGCU’S BRYANT MONTEILH HAS THE STORY. >> ON A BREEZY SUNDAY MORNING IN CAPE CORAL A CONVOY OF MOTORCYCLES CRUISED INTO TOWN. OCCASION, THE 8TH ANNUAL IN STATE UNITY RIDE. ITS TOP OF THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 90 IN CAPE CORAL AS PART OF THE 7 ROUT OF THE UNITY RIDE. THEIR MISSION TO RAISE AWARENESS AND MONEY TO ENSURE VETERANS HAVE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS. AND IN VETERAN SUICIDE. WE SPOKE WITH SOME OF THE WOMEN RIDERS WHO ARE TAKING PART OF A FIVE-DAY TREK, WHICH WILL COVER ABOUT 1800 MILES RYDER SOON MISSED IS ONE OF THE STATE UNITY RIDE COORDINATORS. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF US BECAUSE OUR VETERANS ARE WHAT KEEP OUR COUNTRY FREE. >> THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MADE OUR COUNTRY WHAT IT IS TODAY AND WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HELP THEM AND SUPPORT THEM IN ANY WAY WE CAN. MISSY HANLEY IS ANOTHER RIDER ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE. >> A GOOD SUPPORT SYSTEM. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE ALL THESE WOMEN WRITERS WITH US TO SUPPORT THEM THEN AND EVEN WOMEN SERVICE WOMEN. >> ROBIN MALTESE SAYS IT'S ALL ABOUT TEAM WORK. CAMARADERIE HERE IS AMAZING. I GOTTA SAY THE VETERANS IN OUR COUNTRY IS THE LARGEST BEST STRONGEST TEAMS. YOU TALK ABOUT NFL HOCKEY, BASEBALL, THESE VETERANS, THEY ARE OFFER WON. ARMY NAVY MARINES, COAST GUARD SPACE FORCE DOESN'T MATTER. IT'S ONE HECK OF A TEAM. AND WITHOUT THEM WE WOULD NOT BE THE COUNTRY. WE ARE ACCORDING TO PROJECT VET RELIEF EVERY DAY, AN AVERAGE OF 22 VETERANS LOSE THEIR LIVES TO SUICIDE >> JIM WARREN LINDH IS A VIETNAM VETERAN AND CHAIRMAN OF THE AMERICAN LEGION RIDERS OF FLORIDA. WE HAVE A >> OF ABOUT 40 MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE STATE OF FLORIDA. AND ALSO WE HAVE 40'S ARE TEACHING PARTNERS THAT WE HELP FUNDS SO THAT THE VETERAN TO GET HELP. GOOD. WE WE COVER THE COSTS. THE MAJOR THING ABOUT THIS RIDE IS THAT THIS IS THE RIDE THAT SUPPORTS SUICIDE PREVENTION SIDE, A PROJECT THAT REALLY. >> OVER THE PAST 7 YEARS, THE UNITY RIDE HAS RAISED MORE THAN 1 MILLION DOLLARS. THE GOAL THIS YEAR IS 42500,000 LOOKS ARE KNOWN AS THE AMERICAN LEGION OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA POST 9 TO BE COMMANDER. SHE'S THE FIRST FEMALE COMMANDER IN THE POST HISTORY AND A RETIRED AIR FORCE COMMAND CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT. ONE THING THAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT NO VETERAN IS EVER ALONE. >> WHETHER IT'S THEIR COMMUNITY OR OTHER FELLOW VETERANS, THEY'RE NEVER ALONE. THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE SUPPORTED. THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE AND THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE TO HELP THEM. 24 HOURS A DAY, 365 DAYS A YEAR THE EVENT BROUGHT TOGETHER ABOUT 300 PLUS RIDERS TRAVELING NEARLY 2500 MILES ACROSS FLORIDA. >> THE FINAL RALLY WILL BE IN SANFORD, FLORIDA, ON APRIL. 25TH. FOR WGCU NEWS IM BRYANT MONTEILH