RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Cyclists riding from Washington D.C. to Virginia Beach made their way through Richmond Thursday morning.
It’s all part of the Project HERO Memorial Challenge, formally known as Ride 2 Recovery.
The 106 cyclists, 90 of whom are veterans themselves, stopped by the McGuire Va Medical Center for a quick ceremony before they continued on to Virginia Beach.
During the five-day bike ride memorial challenge, the cyclists will ride 250-miles and make stops along the way to raise awareness for veteran recovery efforts.
The cyclists will end their journey at the United Service Organization Extravaganza in Virginia Beach on June 3.
8News spoke with Doug Hebbard, a US Desert Storm veteran who said that Project Hero saved her life.
“I was in a dark depression. I couldn’t get out of my house. I was afraid of my own shadow,” Hebbard said. “Now, I’m getting on planes, I’m going to places I’ve never been before and I’m cycling hundreds of miles with fellow veterans and first responders.”
Hebbard had a message for others who are going through similar problems.
“Cycling is a life-saver. We have bikes for you. Get on a bike and try it out, it works,” Hebbard said.
Meanwhile, the Richmond Fire Department got in on the action, showing their support:
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