Posted: Aug 4, 2012 6:41 PM by Tara Grimes - MTN News
GREAT FALLS- Five military veterans are bicycling their way across the country to raise awareness and money for war veterans and to help heal their war wounds, and are currently in Montana.
The veterans rode from Choteau to Great Falls Saturday as part of their 90-day bike journey, called The Long Road Home Project.
The project is raising money for Operation First Response, a non-profit that helps wounded war veterans with personal and financial needs.
The veterans will stop by Malmstrom Air Force Base on Sunday to meet other military members and will continue on to the VFW on 10th Avenue South at 5 p.m. to meet the community.
Beyond just raising money they are also each riding for their own personal therapeutic needs.
Two veterans are hand-cycling to help other paralyzed veterans, another is riding for military sexual assault victims, an openly gay veteran is raising awareness about LGBT military issues, and another veteran is riding as a form of PTSD therapy.
"You really start to see people transcending themselves, and as a result of biking, not just becoming physically healthy, but personally just growing and becoming better because of it," project coordinator Casey Miller said. "It's hard. All of these people are stepping outside their comfort zones for themselves and for others and that's to be commended.'
Miller started the project after bicycling his way across the country to overcome challenges in his own life.
After writing a book called "6 and a Half," he reached out to war veterans to help them.
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