When COVID-19 forced the world into isolation, four friends with beat-up bikes started riding around their neighborhood to escape cabin fever. Those simple rides evolved into something none of them expected – a movement that's changing how people talk about mental health and suicide prevention across Ohio.
"We just started riding bikes together," explains Josh Snead of Ride for Hope. "One trip turned into two trips, turned into 'let's do 20 miles'... and then this idea of 'what if we rode our bikes across Ohio?'" That wild thought, born during pandemic restrictions, has transformed into a registered nonprofit that hosts an annual 340-mile journey from Cleveland to Cincinnati, along with community rides throughout the year.
What makes Ride for Hope special isn't just the physical challenge. It's the conversations that happen along the way. Sam Woodward recalls a defining moment when a man pulled his work van over after seeing their jerseys: "He's holding back tears and says 'I want you to know that I lost my daughter to suicide. This means so much to me that you guys are willing to do this.'" These encounters happen regularly, revealing how many people carry silent grief related to suicide.
Beyond fundraising for suicide prevention organizations, the team creates spaces where people feel safe discussing mental health challenges. "Reducing the stigma, erasing it, getting it out of the way and saying we all have this shared human experience that includes struggle and hardship," says Mariah Woodward. "You are not alone in that."
Ready to join the movement? Visit rideforhope.org to learn about upcoming community rides, volunteer opportunities, or to register for their signature Cleveland-to-Cincinnati journey happening this September.
