Vestavia-based Sojourn Counseling will be hosting its second annual Run, Ride and Rumble for PTSD Awareness on June 10 at Cahaba Brewing in Birmingham.
Sojourn is a nonprofit counseling service provider that assists individuals with trauma, including combat veterans and first responders, but also crime, accident and abuse victims, in combating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
It launched in 2012 with a mission to help those with PTSD who can't otherwise afford to pay for counseling. Now, Sojourn serves over 400 clients a year. Most clients are from the Birmingham area, but it also serves clients from around the state and even the country.
Sojourn's annual Run, Ride and Rumble event helps the nonprofit provide services to individuals with PTSD seeking help.
According to Sojourn Director Beau Armistead, at last year's event, Sojourn hosted over 400 people. They were able to put the funds raised toward opening another office, which allowed it to increase its service capacity.
"We're looking to apply the funds raised directly to services that would provide for those needing to heal from post-traumatic stress," Armistead said. "There's such a great need right now."
Armistead explained that the nonprofit has to turn down 40 to 50 people every week due to high demand.
"Our hope is to gradually grow our practice so that we can serve more people and continue to serve more people at a nonprofit sliding scale pro bono basis as needed," he said.
The Run, Ride and Rumble event consists of a 5K run, a 23-mile bicycle ride and a 45-mile motorcycle ride. Participants can also purchase general admission tickets if they don't want to participate in the races.
This grants them access to the party at Cahaba, a catered lunch from Birmingham-based Tex-Mex restaurant Chuy's, a free drink and a free t-shirt. Guests also get access to Sojourn's silent auction.
The Run and the Ride are $50 each, whereas the Rumble is $35. General admission is also just $35.
In addition, Sojourn offers coupons for veterans and first responders, who can get 20% off admission. Veterans can use the coupon code VETERAN, and first responders can use the code FIRST RESPONDER.
Local companies can also become corporate sponsors. Sojourn advertises its sponsors on the event t-shirt and banner. It also takes up advertisements in several popular publications.
If you want to help Sojourn but can't make the event or become a sponsor, you can provide individual donations on Sojourn's website.
Armistead said he hopes to raise at least $125,000 from this year's event. This will help Sojourn address a serious issue many people face in the community.
"A lot of people think that with PTSD it's just something you live with and you manage and kind of white-knuckle through this life with PTSD," Armistead explained. "That doesn't have to be the case."
For more information or to purchase tickets to Sojourn's event, visit the Run Ride and Rumble website here.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email will.blakely@1819news.com or find him on Twitter and Facebook.
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