VALOR Ride: Veterans ride from Alaska to El Paso to raise suicide awareness

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Today, the members of the VALOR Ride completed their 22 day ride across the continental U.S. They took the 5,200 mile journey to raise awareness -- and dollars -- for veteran's suicide prevention.

The members of the group say the journey was completed in 22 days as a sign of solidarity for the estimated 22 veterans who end their lives daily. They hope more immediate steps will help lower this continuing issue in the military community.

It started in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and stretched clear to the Mexican border in El Paso. Using side-by-side vehicles, veterans and supporters took off on September 19th -- covering a wide range of terrain.

"The organizers of the VALOR Ride invite the global community to join them in this monumental effort to combat veteran suicide," the group said in a statement. "They invite people to support this effort, whether through following the journey, spreading the word, or making a contribution, which can significantly impact the lives of veterans struggling with mental health issues.

If you need immediate mental help for suicide or other struggles, there are a number of ways to find help:

• 988: The National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - Anyone can contact the Crisis line through phone, text or message any time, for any mental distress.
• Veterans can also text 838255
• The 988 line has a dedicated Veterans Crisis Line by Pressing 1 after dialing 988
• A chatline through the VA is available at this link
• EHN Crisis Hotline: (915-779-1800) - Staffed by locals, and a constant resource in El Paso, Emergence Health Network's hotline has specialists ready to hear you out.
• Emergence Health Network.org - EHN is able to offer many different forms of support for mental health and wellness. From pet therapy to addiction treatment.
• NAMI El Paso - As part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, there are some options listed on their website for support and connection. NAMI is focused on providing support to anyone with any sort of mental illness.

Avery Martinez covers mental health in the Borderland as part of ABC-7’s Be Mindful initiative. He is also a Report for America corps member. RFA places talented, emerging journalists in newsrooms like ABC-7’s to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up.