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.