This will be my fifth consecutive year riding in the Ride For Mental Health! And first and foremost I want to say THANK YOU to all of the people who have supported me and our team in our previous years. Team Shake It Off has contributed $55,788 to the ride in the past 4 years. Our supporters donations small and large have added up to an absolutely incredible amount of money raised by our small team of 4 people in year 1, 5 in year 2, 7 in year 3, and 12 in year 4. We are all so humbled and honored for the support again this year for our cause. It really helps to keep us pedalling up the hills. Thank you.

Year 1 - 2021

• Signed up for the ride in support of my Uncle and my new friend Beth who had lost thier best friend/brother Brent (an avid cyclist) to suicide as a result of a lost battle with his mental health and to bring awareness to a cause I was very passionate about. 
• Bought a helmet, a bike, and some padded shorts. 
• Learned how to unclip my feet from the pedals in order to stop without falling (after a few crashes).
• Finished 50 miles with my uncle and 2 new teammate friends with tears in my eyes, sad tears for the grief I could see in my teammates and proud tears for the amazing thing we had just accomplished. 

Year 2 - 2022

• Signed up for 75 miles
• Wanted to stop at mile 28 but my teammate Bob taught me about how to eat an elephant, one bite at a time. I had to just focus on getting to the next rest stop or the next mile, and his support got me through mile 50 when my sister joined for our final 25 miles. Between Bob and Lizzie, I found a second wind and kept going.
• Finished 75 miles with my team, in 90+ degree heat, again with tears.

Year 3 - 2023

• Talked my girlfriend and two of our best friends into joining the ride.
• Trained a lot.
• Finished 50 miles with my people. You guessed it, again, with tears. Throughout the ride I reflected on how my people jumped onto the Team with me, how so many friends and family members had donated in my name, and for all the people who would hopefully benefit from our efforts. There was still (and will always be) grief in our team for the loss of a loved one who battled with mental health, but knowing that he sparked our team to ride and fundraise, and knowing that $38,953 had been brought together as a result, brought a different level of tears. 

Year 4 - 2024

• Talked a whole pile of friends into joining and trained a lot.
• Talked to a few other riders on the course and learned their reasons for why they ride for mental health. I heard touching, upsetting, and inspiring stories.
• Finished 50 miles in the sweltering heat, again with tears in my eyes due to the brutal core muscle spasm that I had for the final 8 miles, but mostly because of how supported I was and our cause was at that finish line. 

Year 5 - 2025

• Looking forward to another 50 miles, hopefully without heat exhaustion, and furthering the work for mental health!

Thank you again for your support. Keep up on your own mental health and check in with those around you. Spread joy, be kind, and ride on!
 

The Ride for Mental Health is one of the first rides in the country to benefit mental health. The proceeds raised will be donated to McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate, for the education, research, and treatment of mental illness including anxiety, borderline personality disorder, depression, eating disorders and substance abuse.  Our mission is to raise funds for McLean so that we can help accelerate the progress being made to help others who suffer from mental illness.

We also hope to end the stigma surrounding mental illness through education and awareness. The promotion of this ride is a start.  Many if not most of us are touched by close friends and relatives who have suffered from one type or another of mental illness.

MATCHING GIFTS:
Many employers will match your gift to the Ride. Please check with your company.

Checks should be made payable to Eric’s Ride Inc. and mailed to:

Mac Dorris
537 1st Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215

Eric's Ride Inc. is a New York not for profit corporation with 501(c)(3) status.  100% of rider pledges will be donated to McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate.