The ride started in the Atlantic Ocean in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Aug. 5 (Image Credit: Scott Casey)

By Chad Klassen

THE ROLLING BARRAGE

Cross-country motorcycle ride raises money for PTSD, seeing transformations

Sep 6, 2019 | 1:29 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Rolling Barrage, a motorcycle ride across the country to raise money and bring more awareness to those living with post-traumatic stress disorder, has turned the engines off on the third annual ride.

The ride started in Halifax on Aug. 5 and wrapped up in Burnaby Aug. 21. The founder of The Rolling Barrage, Scott Casey, a former UN peacekeeper, says the ride has brought in about $30,000 with more donations being processed.

It’s money used to run programs and support veterans and first responders living with PTSD.

“We do that via retreats that we’ve vetted,” said Casey. “We just donated another $5,000 to Rally Point Retreat this year in Nova Scotia, $5,000 has gone out to Camp My Way here in British Columbia. We’re looking at another $5,000 for Sheepdog Lodge [for veterans and first responders in Alberta]. So it goes right back out.”

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The Rolling Barage riding on Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley last month (Image Credit: Jillian Brown)

Casey says there were people on the ride with PTSD and others who were simply riding in support of the cause. He recalls how a paramedic living through PTSD transformed during the ride.

“When we met him, he was feral. He wouldn’t come near the crowd with bikes, people. Stuck to himself. He wouldn’t come any closer than about 100 metres. He wouldn’t have dinner with us. He was off on his own,” noted Casey.

“By the time we hit Saskatoon, he was sitting at the table, eating dinner with everybody. So here was a guy that had issues with being around people, and by the time we had made it halfway across the country, he was feeling at ease again. He was starting to re-integrate with society, and it was really good to see.”

If you would like to donate to The Rolling Barrage, you can visit the website here.