Cross-country motorcycle ride to support veterans and PTSD-awareness kicks off in St. John's

WARNING: This story contains a discussion of suicide.

Motorcycle engines roared through the streets of downtown St. John's on Saturday morning as veterans and first responders gathered to pay their respects to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

The ceremony was part of The Rolling Barrage, a cross-country motorcycle trip that sees over 40 motorcyclists drive from St. John's to Aldergrove, BC  to raise awareness for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

Scott Casey, Rolling Barrage founder, started the event following the suicide death of his best friend.

"We served together, we joined the Army together and we served in Bosnia. And after years of dealing with the stresses of what we'd seen over there, he took his life in 1999," Casey said. "So that was the catalyst. I said, 'This is enough. I gotta make some changes for everybody if I can.'"

"The idea of the ride is that we provide peer support while we're on the road," Casey said. "And we have many riders that can testify to that. And also it's a fundraiser… The funds that we generate go directly to other organizations that support veterans and first responders and their families who are living with the effects of PTSD or operational stress injury."

Casey said the first ride happened in 2017 and it's been an annual event ever since.

"Every ride, our message gets out there further and further and hopefully that mitigates the suicide ideation and other stresses that go with mental illness," he said.

Though the ride didn't officially begin until Sunday, Saturday included a special ceremony at the recently unveiled Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the National War Memorial in St. John's. 

"We wanted to be here for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier because that's very near and dear to our hearts as well," Casey said. "We understand the sacrifices that the Royal Newfoundland Regiment, and Newfoundlanders in general, have made over the course of this country's existence. So it's a good day to be here and pay homage to that"

These bikers are driving from NL to BC to raise awareness of PTSD's impacts on veterans

4 months ago

Duration 3:22

Scott Casey, founder of The Rolling Barrage, describes how the annual motorcycle ride began and how it seeks to improve the mental health of veterans and first responders. Theresa Traverse, one of the bikers who has made the coast-to-coast trip before, says the ride creates a safe space for veterans to open up to each other about their mental health struggles.

Theresa Traverse of Southern Harbour, Placentia was one of the bikers at the War Memorial. As a veteran herself, Traverse said it's important to have conversations about PTSD. 

"Oftentimes we stay silent and we don't let anybody know about it," Traverse said. "And this ride brings out a lot amongst all the crew and we're a big family by the end of the ride."

"They realize they're not alone and they can actually know that there's people out there that are there to listen," Traverse said. 

As for Casey, he says there's one main message he likes to share about mental health issues. 

"Like any other injury, whether it's a broken arm or a broken leg, what happens in mental challenges is very much the same thing," Casey said. "If you receive the right treatment and with time, you'll heal. And you may not be 100 per cent, but you'll be a heck of a lot better than you were when you started with the injury."

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