Tuesday, June 18, 2024

Meet The Rider # 988 Pat Romeo


My name is Pat Romeo, returning rider 988. In 2020 I rode for Resurrecting Lives Foundation
(http://www.resurrectinglives.org). They are a foundation whose mission is "to coordinate &
advocate for the successful transition to a post-military career & life for veterans with traumatic
brain injury (TBI)."

 

 


 Finishing in thirteen days, and having accomplished what I set out to do, I didn’t
think I would do the ride again, having nothing to prove. Then in July of 2022, the National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline's 10-digit number was replaced with the roll-out of the 988 Suicide & Crisis
Lifeline. Knowing 22 veterans commit suicide daily in the United States, and that the VA estimates
veteran suicides at slightly more than 1.5 times higher than that of non-veterans (even higher for
American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Veterans), the fact that the new three-digit phone
number and my rider were both 988 seemed more than coincidence.

 


 It was too late to enter the 2022 Hoka Hey Motorcycle Challenge, so I call Dr. Gordon (Founder of Resurrecting lives Foundation) to inform her of the 988 connection and that I was once again riding the Hoka Hey in 2024. So, while I will be once again riding for the Resurrecting Lives Foundation, and our Veterans, our focus this year will be on Veteran suicides and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline.


 

No comments:

Post a Comment