About Ride For Veterans

Ride for Veterans exists to inspire, and recognize those brave men and women who have laid their life on the line for this great nation. Ride for Veterans reminds those who have forgotten how loved and appreciated they really are. We strive to make real change, inspire those who have and have not served to get involved. We encourage people to take that first step in making a difference in a veteran’s life, just as that veteran did in ours. They once took that first step for us and now it’s our duty to take it for them. Ride for Veterans shows what anyone can do when they take that first step, and get off the couch. 

Hello, my name is James Greer. I am a combat veteran. I’m not famous, and I’m not a celebrity—I’m just one man who got off the couch, decided I wanted to make a difference, and took action.

That decision led to The Arctic Adventure 22. I rode my KLR650 Dual Sport from Leonardville, Kansas, to the Arctic Circle and back—a journey of 8,400 miles in under 22 days, sleeping on the ground in a tent along the way. The funds raised from that ride were donated to Mission 22, a not-for-profit organization supporting veterans.

During that time, I read The Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP) National Suicide Data Report (2016), which stated that 22 veterans a day die by suicide. What struck me even harder was learning that in 2014, approximately 65% of veterans who died by suicide were age 50 or older. As a 52-year-old combat veteran, that hit close to home.

I also learned that after adjusting for differences in age and sex, the risk of suicide was twice as likely among Veterans compared to U.S. non-veteran adults. I was stunned. I couldn’t believe my fellow brothers and sisters in arms were being lost at that rate.

The truth is, U.S. veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than those who have not served, and female veterans are 2.2 times more likely. They served their country, and they served all of us.

While you’ve taken the time to read this and explore this website, another veteran has taken their life. Twenty-two a day is approximately one every 65 minutes.

That ride became something bigger. It became Ride for Veterans and RideForVeterans.com. Today, our mission is personal and direct: we raise funds to support veterans in real need—either by donating directly to the veteran or by donating to the specific organization requested to support that veteran at the individual level.

This isn’t about recognition. It’s about saving lives—and reminding every veteran out there that they are not alone.