Riding 22 in 22 VSA (Veteran Suicide Awareness) takes center stage, with the hosts and guests explaining how motorcycle riding becomes therapy and how support systems can reach veterans faster than slow bureaucratic processes. The conversation covers the “22 states in 22 days” ride, dealership partnerships, route planning, and fundraising that helps cover transportation, lodging, and meals. Along the way, there are practical sponsor segments on CANBUS LED lighting, battery/USB charging, and motorcycle accessories—plus a 24/7 hotline and ways to donate or volunteer.
In this podcast, we talk with Angela and Jason White of Riding 22 in 22 VSA (Veteran Suicide Awareness). Riding 22 in 22 VSA is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization committed to raising awareness about veteran suicide prevention while providing direct support to veterans and their caregivers. Their mission is inspired by the heartbreaking statistic that an estimated 22 veterans die by suicide each day. Through outreach, fundraising, and peer connection, the organization works to ensure no veteran or family feels alone in their struggle. Learn more about their mission by visiting Riding 22 in 22 VSA Official Website.
One of their signature efforts is the annual "22 States in 22 Days" ride, a cross-country journey that brings riders and communities together to honor veterans, raise awareness, and inspire hope. The ride creates opportunities for connection, healing, and public engagement in every state visited. Supporters can also contribute financially to help cover transportation, lodging, meals, and treatment-related costs for veterans and caregivers by donating through the organization's official Donation Page.
Then fix it with a high-quality Butt Buffer seat cushion?
In addition to donations and rides, Riding 22 in 22 VSA hosts fundraising opportunities such as their motorcycle raffle, giving supporters another meaningful way to help the cause while having a chance to win a bike. Every mile ridden, ticket purchased, and dollar donated helps turn awareness into action for those who served. For raffle details, visit the official Bike Raffle Page.
"Ciro 3D has a wide variety of innovative products for your Hardy Davis and a brand new line for the all new Honda Goldwing, named Goldstrike."
Ciro 3D is a company that makes add-on parts for motorcycles, like lights and comfort accessories. In this segment, they’re advertising their LED lighting line.
Ciro 3D is an aftermarket motorcycle brand focused on accessories like lighting and comfort products. Here, they’re being promoted as the maker of LED lighting products intended for specific motorcycle electrical setups.
"Ciro Goldstrike are the motorcycle LED lighting innovators for CANBUS plug and place system compatibility."
LED lighting refers to headlight and auxiliary light systems that use light-emitting diodes instead of traditional halogen bulbs. On motorcycles, LED upgrades are popular because they can offer brighter output and faster response, and they’re often sold in kits meant to fit specific bikes.
"Ciro Goldstrike are the motorcycle LED lighting innovators for CANBUS plug and place system compatibility."
CANBUS is the motorcycle’s electronic “network” that talks to all the parts. The claim here is that these LED lights are made to plug in and work correctly without you having to rewire or fight warning lights.
CANBUS (Controller Area Network) is a vehicle communication system used on many modern motorcycles and cars to manage electronics. “Plug and place” compatibility means the LED lights are designed to connect without major rewiring and to work with the bike’s CANBUS electrical monitoring so you don’t get errors or flicker.
"...ny. A USB type A and a type C battery monitor and charger. It's really Nick Dill that hooks into your SAE p..."
The Dodge Charger is a sporty car with four doors that’s known for having a powerful engine. People talk about it because it can be driven daily, but it’s also built to feel fast. It’s often chosen by drivers who want a mix of practicality and performance.
The Dodge Charger is a full-size American muscle car built for strong straight-line performance and a sporty, four-door layout. It often comes up in car discussions because it’s a popular platform for performance upgrades and customization. In a podcast context, it may be mentioned as a common vehicle people use for everyday driving while still wanting power and style.
"A USB type A and a type C battery monitor and charger... Some high quality stuff, both USB type A and USB type C."
USB Type-A is the common “rectangular” USB plug you see on lots of chargers. It’s used here to power devices from the motorcycle’s charging setup.
USB Type-A is the rectangular USB connector shape commonly found on many chargers and cables. On motorcycles, it’s often used for powering accessories like phone chargers and small electronics.
"A USB type A and a type C battery monitor and charger... Some high quality stuff, both USB type A and USB type C."
USB Type-C is the newer USB plug that works either way up. It’s commonly used for charging phones and other devices from a motorcycle power setup.
USB Type-C is the reversible, oval-shaped USB connector that supports higher power charging for many modern devices. In motorcycle accessory setups, it’s popular because it can charge phones and other electronics efficiently with the right cable.
"It's really Nick Dill that hooks into your SAE plug and you can charge your phone or whatever you want to charge your device."
An SAE plug is a standard plug used on many motorcycles for charging. It makes it easy to connect a charger or power accessory to the bike’s battery.
An SAE plug is a common motorcycle accessory connector used for charging and powering devices. It’s typically used with battery tenders/chargers and lets you connect accessories directly to the bike’s battery circuit without hardwiring.
"But that's also got a monitor on there to monitor your battery status. That's really cool."
A battery monitor tells you how healthy your motorcycle battery is. It helps you make sure you’re not draining it while using chargers and electronics.
A battery monitor is an electronic accessory that displays or reports the motorcycle battery’s condition (often voltage and/or charging status). This helps you avoid draining the battery when running accessories like USB charging on long rides or when the bike sits.
"if you have the Stealthport, which we love, mid frame mount or wherever you have it mounted."
Stealthport is a mounted charging/power connection on the motorcycle. It gives you an easy place to plug in USB charging without running wires every time.
Stealthport is a motorcycle accessory power port system that’s mounted on the bike (often mid-frame) to provide convenient charging/power connections. In this segment, it’s used as the place where the USB charger plugs in via the bike’s SAE battery-tender connection.
"I've got a headset, a Cardo Pactalk Edge. And so when we're riding these long days, day after day,"
Cardo Pactalk Edge is a Bluetooth communication system for motorcycle helmets. It lets riders talk and listen to audio, so it needs power—especially on long trips.
Cardo Pactalk Edge is a Bluetooth motorcycle intercom system used for rider-to-rider communication and audio. Mentioning it matters because intercoms are common power-hungry accessories on long rides that benefit from reliable charging.
"we've got ride power, we've got Deltran, some different US, SA80, USB and C adapters."
Deltran is a company that makes motorcycle battery chargers and accessories. The host mentions it as one of the options for charging gear and keeping the bike’s battery ready.
Deltran is a brand commonly associated with motorcycle battery tenders/chargers and related accessories. In this segment it’s mentioned alongside other charging adapters, implying it’s part of the ecosystem riders use to keep batteries topped up.
Term
USB and C adapters
"we've got ride power, we've got Deltran, some different US, SA80, USB and C adapters. But the nice thing about the Techmate Optimate, they are the king when it comes to that, as far as I'm concerned."
USB and USB-C adapters are plugs that let you power/charge gadgets from the motorcycle. They’re used so you can run charging cables for things like your phone or helmet gear.
USB and USB-C adapters are power outlets that let riders charge devices (like phones, cameras, or headsets) from the motorcycle’s electrical system. They’re typically used with a fused accessory circuit so the bike can supply stable power while riding or when parked.
"But the nice thing about the Techmate Optimate, they are the king when it comes to that, as far as I'm concerned. Number one, it's smart."
Techmate Optimate makes battery chargers for motorcycles. It can automatically monitor the battery and stop charging if the voltage gets into a risky range, which helps keep the battery in better shape.
Techmate Optimate is a brand of motorcycle battery chargers/maintainers designed to keep batteries healthy when the bike sits. The host highlights features like smart voltage detection and automatic shutoff when the battery voltage drops too low, which helps protect the battery and electronics.
"And if it detects your battery drops below 12 volts, it actually shuts off because those are connected directly to your battery. So you don't come out, especially with the new bikes, the IFCU, you don't wanna get those below a certain volt."
This is when the motorcycle battery gets too low. Newer bikes have more electronics, so if the voltage drops too far, it can cause problems—so people use chargers that keep it from getting that low.
“Battery drops below 12 volts” describes a low-state condition where the battery voltage is under a protective cutoff. On modern motorcycles with more electronics, letting the battery sag too far can cause control modules to behave poorly or prevent proper starting, so owners use chargers/maintainers that manage the battery before it reaches that point.
Term
IFCU
"So you don't come out, especially with the new bikes, the IFCU, you don't wanna get those below a certain volt."
IFCU is a bike’s electronics control box. If the battery gets too low, that control box can act up or cause starting/electrical issues, so riders try to keep voltage from dropping too far.
IFCU is an acronym for a motorcycle’s integrated front control unit (or similar front-end control module, depending on brand/model). It’s part of the bike’s electronics that can be sensitive to low battery voltage, which is why riders avoid letting the system drop below a certain threshold.
"So I had a little 125 Enduro that I would ride every day to high school and catch flat and everybody"
A “125 Enduro” is a smaller 125cc dirt-style motorcycle. It’s meant for riding on rougher ground, like trails, not only smooth roads.
A “125 Enduro” is a small-displacement off-road-oriented motorcycle (125cc) in the enduro style. Enduro bikes are designed for mixed terrain—think dirt trails and rougher surfaces—rather than just pavement.
"different bikes until I got on the Honda Goldwing
and fell in love with distance riding
and we actually did Rolling Thunder eight or nine years
on the Goldwing"
The Honda Gold Wing is a touring motorcycle made for long trips. People pick it because it’s designed to handle lots of miles and keep you going comfortably.
The Honda Goldwing (often spelled “Gold Wing”) is Honda’s flagship touring motorcycle built for long-distance riding. The rider specifically connects it to “distance riding” and multi-year trips, highlighting why touring bikes are chosen for comfort, range, and practicality on the road.
"and we actually did Rolling Thunder eight or nine years
on the Goldwing and the wife decided she wanted to go further,"
Rolling Thunder is a big motorcycle event that focuses on veterans and missing service members. The host mentions it to show how long they’ve been doing these kinds of trips.
Rolling Thunder is a well-known motorcycle rally associated with raising awareness for veterans and POW/MIA issues. In this segment, it’s used as evidence of the rider’s long-term touring lifestyle on the Gold Wing.
Term
ultra limited
"well, if we're gonna do that,
the only thing to do is go to an ultra limited
and that way we have,"
“Ultra limited” means a very high-end touring version of a motorcycle. It’s the kind of bike you’d choose when you plan to ride far and want more features and support on the road.
“Ultra limited” here refers to a top-tier touring motorcycle trim/class—typically meaning a fully equipped long-distance bike with more amenities and higher-end components. The rider’s point is that, for extended travel, a more fully featured touring setup can be safer and more convenient if problems happen far from home.
"the only thing to do is go to an ultra limited
and that way we have,
if something were to happen on the side of the road,
we have access to dealerships and parts.
Yeah, yeah, now that makes sense.
There's a lot of benefits to that with a dealership network,"
A dealership network is the chain of official shops that can fix your bike or get parts. When you’re traveling, having more nearby dealerships can help you get help faster.
A dealership network is the set of authorized stores that can sell parts and provide service. For riders traveling long distances, a strong dealership network matters because it increases the odds you can get replacement parts quickly if your bike breaks down.
"if something were to happen on the side of the road,
we have access to dealerships and parts.
Yeah, yeah, now that makes sense.
There's a lot of benefits to that with a dealership network,"
Here “parts” means replacement pieces your bike might need to get fixed. If parts are easy to find quickly, it’s less stressful when you’re far from home.
In this context, “parts” means replacement components needed to repair a motorcycle while traveling (like wear items or broken components). The rider is emphasizing that parts availability and speed of sourcing can be a deciding factor between brands on the road.
"So we partner up with mostly Harley Davidson dealerships [1796.3s] and that is not how it started out. To be honest, we kind of reached out to all different types of dealerships"
Harley-Davidson is a well-known motorcycle company with lots of local dealerships. Here, they’re saying their charity events work with those Harley dealerships.
Harley-Davidson is a major American motorcycle brand known for its cruiser-style bikes and strong dealer network. In this segment, the hosts mention partnering with Harley-Davidson dealerships to host fundraising events.
"it has mo-tech tethers inside the one-touch saddlebags. It has Eagle lights, LED lights on the front of it."
These are side storage bags on a motorcycle that you can open or release with one simple action. It’s meant to be faster and easier than older bag designs.
“One-touch” saddlebags are motorcycle side storage bags that can be opened or released with a single action, usually via a latch mechanism. The goal is quick access without manually fiddling with multiple latches.
Term
mo-tech tethers
"it has mo-tech tethers inside the one-touch saddlebags. It has Eagle lights, LED lights on the front of it."
Mo-Tech tethers are small straps or links that help keep the saddlebags controlled when you open or move them. They help the bags behave properly instead of flopping around.
Mo-Tech tethers are accessory straps/links used to control or support saddlebags, typically to keep them positioned and prevent them from swinging or overextending. They’re part of the hardware that makes quick-access bag systems work smoothly.
"It has Eagle lights, LED lights on the front of it. And then some companies like American Freedom"
LED lights are the modern kind of bulbs that use electricity more efficiently. They typically last a long time and can be brighter than older bulb types.
LED lights use light-emitting diodes, which are more efficient and often last longer than traditional bulbs. On motorcycles, LED headlights and auxiliary lights can improve visibility and reduce power draw.
"It has Eagle lights, LED lights on the front of it. And then some companies like American Freedom"
This is a brand name for the motorcycle’s front lights. Different brands can look different and shine differently.
“Eagle lights” refers to a specific lighting brand used on the motorcycle’s front lighting setup. In custom builds, the brand matters because different makers use different lens designs, beam patterns, and mounting hardware.
"And then some companies like American Freedom and Bagger Gages, Bagger Gages did a custom gauge for it."
American Freedom is a company that makes aftermarket parts for motorcycles. They mentioned it because the bike has custom covers installed from that brand.
American Freedom is referenced as a custom-parts brand used on the bike, specifically for “derby covers,” a “horn cover,” and a “timing cover.” These are common cosmetic and styling add-ons on Harley-style bagger builds.
"And then some companies like American Freedom and Bagger Gages, Bagger Gages did a custom gauge for it."
Bagger Gages is a brand that makes custom motorcycle gauges. They’re part of the bike’s look and can also help the rider read information more easily.
Bagger Gages is mentioned as the company that made a custom gauge for the bike. In bagger builds, gauges are often customized for both aesthetics and readability, and they can be integrated into the handlebars/fairing area.
"And then American Freedom did some derby covers and horn cover and timing cover for it."
Derby covers are aftermarket covers mounted on the primary drive area of many V-twin motorcycles, often used for styling and to protect components. They’re a popular customization item on baggers because they’re highly visible.
"And then American Freedom did some derby covers and horn cover and timing cover for it. So it's a pretty sharp bike."
A timing cover is a protective engine cover. Custom versions are often installed to change the look while keeping the timing area covered.
A timing cover is a protective cover over the timing mechanism area of an engine. On custom motorcycles, aftermarket timing covers are often swapped for styling while still covering the engine’s timing components.
"And then American Freedom did some derby covers and horn cover and timing cover for it."
This is a cover/trim piece for the motorcycle horn. It’s usually added to make the horn area look more finished or match the rest of the custom parts.
A horn cover is an aftermarket trim piece that covers or dresses the motorcycle’s horn location. It’s typically used for appearance and to integrate the horn into the bike’s custom styling theme.
"Zero Goldstrike are the motorcycle LED lighting innovators
[3006.7s] for CAN bus plug and play system compatibility."
Zero Goldstrike is a company that makes LED lights for motorcycles. The hosts are saying they’re known for designing motorcycle lighting that fits easily.
Zero Goldstrike is presented as a motorcycle LED lighting brand focused on aftermarket lighting. In this segment, they’re positioned as “innovators” in LED lighting for bikes.
"Zero Goldstrike are the motorcycle LED lighting innovators
[3006.7s] for CAN bus plug and play system compatibility.
[3009.4s] They pride themselves on great customer service,"
CAN bus is the motorcycle’s electronic “data network.” “Plug and play” means the lights are made to connect easily and work with the bike’s electronics without a complicated install.
CAN bus is the vehicle’s communication network that lets electronic modules (like lighting controllers) talk to each other. “Plug and play” here means the LED lighting is designed to connect without major wiring changes, using CAN bus compatibility to reduce installation hassle.
"A new leader has emerged,
[3023.4s] so check out Zero 3D's custom line of Goldstrike products
[3025.8s] for the all new Honda Goldwings.
[3027.2s] Better yet, help support us"
Zero 3D is the company/store the hosts are pointing you to for the lighting products they’re discussing. It’s basically where you can shop for those accessories.
Zero 3D is referenced as the source for a custom line of Goldstrike products. The segment frames Zero 3D as the brand/storefront where listeners can browse and buy the lighting accessories.
"Get hooked up with a premium but buffer seat cushion. This company of bikers developed a super thin hospital grade seat cushion made of solid and elastic materials"
A seat cushion is something you put on your motorcycle seat to make the ride more comfortable. The point here is that it’s thin but still adds padding and support.
A seat cushion is an aftermarket pad you place on a motorcycle seat to improve comfort and reduce fatigue. This one is described as “super thin” and “hospital grade,” using solid and elastic materials to add cushioning without the bulk of thicker pads.
"and it's unlike those gel pads that will leak if punctured. The but buffer is designed not to slide around in your seat"
Gel pads are squishy inserts that sit on the seat to soften bumps. The claim here is that if they get punctured, they can leak.
Gel pads are soft cushioning inserts filled with gel that conform to your body. The host contrasts them with the discussed cushion by claiming gel pads can leak if punctured, which is a practical durability concern.
"fits all motorcycles, installs in seconds, easily cleans and yep, helps to dampen vibrations."
This is basically saying the cushion is easy to put on. The goal is that you don’t need tools or a long setup time.
“Installs in seconds” is a product claim about how quickly the cushion can be fitted onto a motorcycle seat. In practice, quick-install designs usually rely on simple placement, straps, or friction rather than tools.
"fits all motorcycles, installs in seconds, easily cleans and yep, helps to dampen vibrations."
Motorcycles can vibrate a lot, especially at speed. This cushion is meant to reduce that vibration you feel through the seat.
“Dampen vibrations” means reducing how much the cushion absorbs and smooths out the shaking transmitted from the motorcycle to your body. Seat inserts can help by adding compliance and friction so you feel less buzz over time.
Select text to request an explanation
When I found out I was gonna be a parent,
I immediately felt a lot of anxiety and worry.
So I went on to BetterHelp to try to look for a therapist
to help me with that.
My relationship with my family and with my boyfriend
and with myself were suffering.
I really needed help.
I was ruminating a lot,
really getting those thoughts out to a therapist
and getting feedback was just life changing.
Discover what BetterHelp online therapy can do for you.
Visit betterhelp.com today.
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Put the fucking mic on.
Wanna ride longer?
Are you tired of a sore and achy ass?
Fix it with a high quality butt buffer seat cushion.
Head over to lawbitingbiker.com for a sus store.
Check out our full line of butt buffer seat cushions.
Don't forget there will be a video coming up very soon.
In fact, I already shot it on.
It's a refresh of the butt buffer
because a few things have changed.
When you go over to the lawbiting biker store,
you'll see two different options.
And we have, it's very specific on the listings,
but certainly the video will be helpful.
But we do have some different color options
with the air cushion cover.
Is that what it's called?
Yeah, the air.
We got the classic and pebble polymer.
It's already over there on the store listings.
But again, the video is coming,
but you have some color choices now.
So yeah, go take advantage of that.
Hey, big Alex.
Ciro 3D has a wide variety of innovative products
for your Hardy Davis and a brand new line
for the all new Honda Goldwing,
named Goldstrike.
I like Gold.
Top quality, affordable chrome lighting
and comfort products.
Ciro Goldstrike are the motorcycle LED lighting
innovators for CANBUS plug and place system compatibility.
Head over to lawbitingbiker.com for a sus store.
Check out our full line of Ciro 3D products.
We love our hog work stuff.
In fact, I have a little couple of gifts coming
from hog works as we speak.
I'll just tell you that it's some headlights.
But those videos, I'm going to go ahead and test them.
I'm not going to tell you which ones yet.
And soon, soon, one will be coming out for the new
or designed road guides.
I'm excited about that one.
Yeah, they've got some cool stuff there
and we're so happy to have them
as one of our newest sponsors.
Great stuff.
You know, they build motorcycle parts,
the way bikers want them,
clean fit, quality finish, customer service
that actually answers.
And like I said, we run their gear on our Harleys
because we trust it.
And we do have a selection of hog works products
in the law abiding biker store.
I personally just added some new listings last week
and we hope as time goes on here,
we're going to keep adding listings.
But just remember, just like anything,
whether it's zero or hog works or any other products,
if you don't yet see it listed,
we can still get it for you.
So just lawabidingbiker.com for us to store
and hit that contact form and tell us what you're looking for.
And we'll gladly send you an invoice
and we'll get it shipped your way.
Lickety split.
That's fast.
It's really fast.
As fast as anybody else can do it.
Speaking of store items, what you got Lurch?
Well, recently we released the helmet hanger
from Schmid Moto.
And in combination with that, we introduced some locks.
The lock companies or the distributors
were not ready for us.
So we've been selling out of many of the locks.
We've sourced one.
We've got a large amount of them.
We're calling it the biker helmet combination lock.
We got a ton of them.
So if you're looking for one and we didn't have one
at the time, click on order that biker helmet lock.
We've got a ton.
We will not be running out of that one.
There's two other locks we carry,
which is a kryptonite helmet lock and a Trimax.
They come in and out of stock,
but the third one we put in there recently,
that I guarantee we will not run out of.
We have a metric shit ton of them.
A metric shit ton of them.
And as we get down to half of metric shit ton,
we're gonna order more.
So we will always have those.
And then a couple of items that you've added in here.
The Techmate or Optimate, same company.
A USB type A and a type C battery monitor and charger.
It's really Nick Dill that hooks into your SAE plug
and you can charge your phone
or whatever you want to charge your device.
But that's also got a monitor on there
to monitor your battery status.
That's really cool.
And in addition to those,
there is an assortment of USB cables and adapters
that we've added in there.
Yep.
So take advantage of that guys.
Some high quality stuff, both USB type A and USB type C.
Different lengths.
And the whole point is having one of these
Optimates, Techmate, USB A or C chargers
is used for a couple of things, especially with a cord.
Number one, if you have the Stealthport, which we love,
mid frame mount or wherever you have it mounted.
When you stop, I've got a lot of cameras.
I've got a headset, a Cardo Pactalk Edge.
And so when we're riding these long days, day after day,
I can literally plug one of these USBAs
via your battery tender SAE plug right into my Stealthport.
And I can even split it into two.
We've got an option in the store for that.
And then I can charge while I'm in at lunch,
I can charge a camera.
I can even run a cord and just lock my saddle bag
right through the saddle bag or in the trunk.
Charge my headset, cause they do not last all day
if you're listening to a lot of stuff.
So there's just a nice little array.
Yeah, and I used to carry like a battery pack, you know?
Yeah.
And to charge stuff, this is much easier.
It's one less thing you gotta carry.
Yeah, and these nice, we've got a couple,
we've got ride power, we've got Deltran,
some different US, SA80, USB and C adapters.
But the nice thing about the Techmate Optimate,
they are the king when it comes to that,
as far as I'm concerned.
Number one, it's smart.
And if it detects your battery drops below 12 volts,
it actually shuts off
because those are connected directly to your battery.
So you don't come out, especially with the new bikes,
the IFCU, you don't wanna get those below a certain volt.
And like Lurch said, it actually has lights on there.
So if you've bought any of our Optimate battery tenders,
they're smart tenders.
And so they'll also show you
if something's wrong with your battery
or whether it's charging, whether it's fully charged.
And this has the same kind of lights
and information all built into a nice little device.
So there you go.
I'll be good to meet one of those.
Yeah, for sure, dude.
I'm waiting for it to guy ordered a bunch.
Okay.
And so we'll have them on the shelf.
I'm gonna grab one too.
I think I will as well.
I'm looking forward, especially with the IFCU,
having the ability to for it to be smart and go,
hey, that's all I'm charging your device
cause I need to save some for this electronics
and your bike is pretty smart.
None of the other ones do that.
We love the Techmate Optimate stuff.
All right, some, we got some new free videos.
We sure do.
Yeah, let's talk about those.
Okay, the first one is called
after 11 days and 3,800 miles,
this is what my Harley oil was hiding.
And that is a video, it's a live video
of the Figueroa de Magnetic Dipsticks.
You pull one out and show the metal materials
that were collected on that from that trip.
Very impressive.
And the next one is tired of toxic motorcycle groups.
Join our positive and supportive biker community, Patreon.
That is a group of, we call them patrons
that support law abiding biker
and help keep this thing running on down the road.
But in addition, there's the Facebook,
private Facebook group, which is a troll-free zone
that you can join.
And it's just a positive group where you can find
information and have conversations
without all the BS that you get
in some of the other platforms.
Yeah, good video to watch if you've ever been interested
in becoming a patron member.
And Lurch will link to everything in the show notes.
Welcome back, you freaking biker-holics.
This is the podcast for the motorcycle majority,
the big M-M, also known as the 99%.
Large in charge of the motorcycle scene by being here
by listening, you're part of what we call the hashtag.
Biker Revolution.
We have one question before we get started.
What are you waiting for, biker-holics?
Mount up.
And let Javon take you on another wild-ass ride.
Changing it up, nice.
Ryan Erlacher, here, your host
of the Lawabiding Biker Podcast
and your high-tech Redneck.
All right, got a great show planned for you here, guys.
It's going to be an interview.
It is a organization that's called Writing 22
and 22VSA Veteran Suicide Awareness.
And really looking forward to talking to these folks.
So we'll dive in.
We're going to tell you what that is all about.
We got Javon on a mic.
Yeah, thanks for being here, man.
Absolutely.
We got Lurch on a mic.
You ready?
Yeah.
And Javon, if you haven't listened to past episodes,
been here about a month and a half
or something like that, right?
Yeah, about a month and a half, yeah.
Assistant store manager at Lawabiding Biker.
So some of you have probably spoken to him.
Also a veteran.
So I definitely wanted him on a mic for this.
He really helped organize it and spoke with these folks
and kind of lined this up.
So yeah, definitely stick around.
It's going to be great.
Now we, you know, I say every year, but 2026,
you definitely got to consider being a patron,
becoming a patron member of Lawabiding Biker Media.
These are three folks, just three of many
that have signed up when we try to do
at least three an episode.
As some of our, in fact, they might not even be
that new anymore, because by the time we get to thanking them,
so following three people.
Newish.
Newish.
Garrett Klein of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Gary Bowman of Daniel Island, South Carolina.
And Bruce Dake of Farmington, New York.
Thank you so much.
Seriously, we appreciate that so very much.
You becoming involved, you know,
and just stepping up and saying,
I want to, you know, support that community,
the Lawabiding Biker community.
I want to meet people in the private Facebook group,
but it's very simple to do.
If you're interested, lawabidingbiker.com forward slash
Patreon, P-E-T-R-E-O-N.
You basically pledge a certain amount,
a membership per month, you get to decide what level
and what level of benefits that you want to receive.
And there are a plethora of benefits,
such as t-shirts and stickers,
you get access to the private Facebook group,
a troll free zone.
It is nothing but bikers helping and connecting
with other bikers in there.
There is no stupid question, all right?
People are there just to help you,
whether you're new or you have lots of experience.
You get access to live video broadcasts and chat podcasts,
early premium videos up on request,
and of course access to the ride,
meet up at events, the yearly sanctioned ones
that we are doing this year over in Buffalo, New York
during our 18 state, 12 days, 18 states over there, guys.
So yeah, and don't forget your year-round Patreon discount
code in the law binding biker store.
All right, with that said,
I say we just dive right into our interview.
All right, well, thanks for joining us.
Why don't you tell us, give us a little,
just your names and give us just a little bit about yourselves.
My name is Jason White, I'm here with my wife, Angela White.
We are riding 20, well, we have a whole board,
but we are co-founders of Riding 22 and 22VSA
as in Veterans Suicide Awareness.
We love to ride our motorcycles and help out veterans
and spend time with our daughter and granddaughter.
Nice, so diving into motorcycles a little bit,
obviously you love to ride,
and we're gonna dive in deeper to your organization here
and stuff like that from Ohio, right?
Correct.
Okay, and do a lot of riding around there.
What do you guys, how'd you get in,
let's start with motorcycle,
how'd you get into a motorcycle and when did that all start?
Well, as a kid, my father had motorcycles
and I always loved them and was intrigued by them.
And about the time I was 16, I couldn't afford a car
and dad helped me get a motorcycle.
So I had a little 125 Enduro that I would ride every day
to high school and catch flat and everybody
about when you're gonna get a real motorcycle
and I would look around the parking lot
and there was only one there,
so I assume it was the only real motorcycle there.
Yeah, nice, and how about you, Angela?
I actually, I didn't start riding
until Jason and I got married.
We've actually known each other since we were four,
but we were kind of, kind of went on our own ways
and then got back together and got married.
I decided, Jason started having some health issues
and I decided to go ahead and get my license.
So I took the state of Ohio course and got my license,
actually passed second in the class and came home
and told Jason he had no idea how to ride a motorcycle.
And according to the state of Ohio,
and then my first bike was a Honda 750
and then now I have a ultra classic anniversary edition,
2003 anniversary edition.
Sweet.
And when was that that you started actually,
you passed your test and stuff,
how many years ago was that?
Oh, it's probably been 10, about 10 years ago now.
Okay, and that is the bike you have right now?
That is the bike you have, yep.
Okay, wow, how many miles is on that thing?
Yeah, about 65,000.
When we travel our long distance rides,
like this particular ride coming up,
I will ride two up with Jason because I'm a picture taker
and when I'm driving the bike myself, I can't take pictures.
So I prefer to be on the back, taking the pictures
and making the phone calls,
making sure the hotels are all set up
and all that good stuff, so.
Nice, and Jason, so we got to back up a little bit here,
you're riding around on a 125 in Darrow.
At some point, what's obvious,
you graduated to some large street bike,
whether it be an Indian or a Harley, when was that?
Well, all through, surely after high school,
I think it was maybe my last year in high school,
I got a 440 Kawasaki and then it just kept going
different bikes until I got on the Honda Goldwing
and fell in love with distance riding
and we actually did Rolling Thunder eight or nine years
on the Goldwing and the wife decided she wanted to go further,
see more, travel the country and I thought,
well, if we're gonna do that,
the only thing to do is go to an ultra limited
and that way we have,
if something were to happen on the side of the road,
we have access to dealerships and parts.
Yeah, yeah, now that makes sense.
There's a lot of benefits to that with a dealership network,
especially when you're traveling far
because Honda's probably pretty spread out, huh?
Yes, they, actually, if you look it up,
Honda has more dealerships than Harley, I don't think,
because of their motorsport qualification,
I don't think there's readily as available as a Harley,
but they're definitely not as closely,
I don't know, located.
Yeah, they're not as easily accessible.
And the parts aren't as easy to get as quick to get,
I guess you would say.
Yeah, it makes sense.
All right, so we got, you're on motorcycles,
you obviously have a passion for riding and things like that.
So at some point you decided, I assume,
is you started this organization,
which is what we're gonna talk about here today,
and when did that kind of start
and how did that spawn itself?
So actually, Jason had a YouTube channel, Mr. McStash,
and we were riding with some friends,
and both of them actually, a husband and wife,
and they both actually got cancer
within six months of each other.
And so they weren't able to ride with us for a while.
So we were taking all this video for them,
and Jason was like,
what am I gonna do with all these videos?
And I went, just put them on YouTube,
and they can watch them on YouTube.
Well, then he started kind of getting a following.
And we were donating, he had a Patreon page,
and we were donating those funds
to the Fisher House Foundation,
which is kind of like a Ronald McDonald house for veterans.
And so we decided, I said,
I'd like to do something bigger, something more.
We had some friends that had been in the service
and had committed suicide,
and I said, we need to do something.
So in 2022, we decided that the average number
of veterans a day according to the government
is 22 veterans that take their lives a day.
And I said, we need to do something big.
So we decided to do this ride,
22 states in 22 days for the 22 veterans,
which was gonna take place in 2022,
was gonna be our first ride.
Well, Jason then had a heart attack,
had a widowmaker in 2022.
And so it kind of got pushed back.
And last year, I'm like, okay, this is it.
We need to get on the ball with this.
And so I started calling around to dealerships,
and they were jumping on board pretty quick.
And that's how it all started.
We just decided that we needed to be able
to reach the community and let the veterans know
that they do have a support system out there.
There are people who care.
And for Jason, riding the bike is a form of therapy.
And so we know that there are a lot of veterans
out there who ride bikes.
And I am pretty sure it's a form of therapy for them too.
Okay, so I'm gonna back up just a little bit
to make sure I understood everything.
So is 26 here?
So I understand in the 22 and all that.
But then, Jason had some heart troubles
and you weren't able to get it off the ground,
or you did a couple of years later.
Is this the first year that you're getting it off the ground?
No, this is our second year.
On the road last year, last year we did the Midwest,
22 states in the Midwest.
This is our second year.
We're doing 22 states on the East Coast.
And our 2027 ride is already,
all the dealerships are already secured for the 2027 ride
and we're doing the West Coast.
Okay, all right, thanks, appreciate that.
And I may have missed it,
you guys are obviously supporting veteran suicide awareness,
which actually 22 is an astonishing number a day to me.
We have Javon here who's a vet
and then we're retired Leo's
and there's a high rate there too
with retired law enforcement.
So it kind of goes hand in hand.
Or either of you, maybe you said it,
or veterans or you just decided to have,
you had friends that are people you knew
that committed suicide and you want to get involved.
I'm myself, I'm a six year army veteran
and they have a hundred percent rating for PTSD and TBI.
So I'm well aware of the mental struggles
that veterans go through.
I mean, when you're talking about Javon there
that you hang with and Leo's are a lot like military,
their perception and their closeness
to giving up everything far beyond
the regular person's grasp and concept.
And I have my wife, granddaughter,
I have my daughter as a support system.
And I'm telling anybody in any of those situations,
Leo or military that doesn't have a good support system
is in a situation destined to fail.
And we want to help reach out to those people
who don't have those quality support systems
or who can't get a grasp on their situation.
If you haven't been there, you don't know.
And I mean, it's kind of like the Jeep thing.
If you don't have a Jeep, you don't know.
I mean, it kind of funny that way.
But yeah, it's just so hard to explain
because if you, I mean, unfortunately,
the best way to say it is if you don't know, you don't know.
And it's a true struggle.
We want to be that support system for those who turns out
there that don't have a support system.
Can you talk a little bit about what the experience is like
or what the opportunity is like for a veteran
that has been through some things and saw some things
as we have to have an opportunity to get outside
of your thoughts when you're riding a motorcycle.
Talk about what that feels like to get away
from the things that we typically think about
from day to day or the experiences that we've gone through,
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People ask that a lot and there's no solid answer to it.
I don't know if it's because we were conditioned to
react in chaos and it's the fact of you're out there
assuming nobody sees you,
but yet you also have to control the motorcycle
and handle the motorcycle properly.
But yet you also have nature
and everything absorbing your senses around you.
I mean, you drive past a skunk on the side of the road.
Yeah, okay, so it's a skunk on the side of the road.
You drive past that on a motorcycle.
You can smell the stink glands.
You can smell how old it's been on the side of the road.
I mean, you just absorb so much when you're riding
plus you have to pay attention to so much when you're riding.
I think it's a perfect storm for somebody
who's conditioned to work under,
shall we say less than favorable conditions.
That's kind of how I explain it.
But the best way to explain it is freedom.
I mean, you're free, everything else melts away
and you become a part of what you're involved in
at that moment.
Seeing it from this side,
I almost see it as taking a deep breath.
So a lot of times you take that deep breath
and it just helps you to relax.
And riding a motorcycle for Jason
is like taking a deep breath.
You just get out there and the focus is just on riding
and where you're riding.
And it's not a focus of thinking about what you have to do
or what's going on or what's running in your mind.
Your mind is focused on just the great outdoors
and the openness and the freedom
and not focused on those things that constantly
bounce back and forth in your mind.
Yeah, that's a great point.
Sometimes my wife, she can see me stir up a little bit
in my head and she'll tell me,
you need to go on a ride.
Stop what you're doing, you need to go on a ride.
And I think that's a great point.
And a lot of people don't understand what it's like
or because they've never been through it, different things.
And I think it's very transitional
and it's very freeing, as you said, when you get on a bike
and it's just you, the bike in nature and your surroundings.
And like you said, it gives you an opportunity
to not stir up and think about those things
that we've been through and we've gone through.
So that's a great point.
I love it.
One of my favorite sayings that I always run back to
is sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere
and sometimes in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself
and it rings true to me.
And I think there's a lot of law enforcement,
active and military active and then of course retired
and you see it across the board
and everybody has a little bit different way
of explaining what it does for them.
I know it's super therapeutic for me too.
And as Javon mentioned too, but yeah.
And I've explained it in some of my documentary films,
they're just a zone that you get in, some sort of zone.
And I think a lot of it has to do with your focused
and the environment.
And then also, there's not a lot else you can do
on a motorcycle, it just forces you,
it forces you to put down the phone,
it forces you to just be in your own head.
You know what I mean?
Which we don't do a lot.
We're so busy in life, we don't examine things
and examines ourself and you can come up
with some great ideas when I'm writing
and stuff, some of my best video ideas and stuff.
So yeah, I think everybody relates to that for sure.
It's therapeutic for all walks of life,
not just military and law enforcement.
There's a lot of stresses that people have
in their normal corporate jobs,
you know, that they need to get away from.
So it's just for everyone out there,
it's a stress reliever because you get on the bike,
I don't know about you all, but when I get on there,
a smile just comes across my face.
And it's because you gotta concentrate on the writing
and just enjoy nature and it's just beautiful.
And it's very therapeutic for I think everyone.
Yeah, that's for sure.
Yeah.
There's nothing like, they're looking at something
from a motorcycle and looking from a car
are two totally different experiences, totally different.
Angel, I had the opportunity to ride
on the back of Ryan's motorcycle when we were down in Daytona.
I flew down and met him and we had one bike
and we had to run over and pick up my bike.
And I said, hey, are we gonna Uber over there?
He goes, no, you're gonna ride with me.
So I jumped on the back of his bike.
I'm a much larger human than he is.
So I stuck up quite a bit over the top of him.
But my wife, her name's also Angel,
enjoys riding with me.
And I got to kind of experience
what she experiences on the back of the bike.
You mentioned earlier, you can take the phone calls,
you can look around, take the pictures.
And also riding behind Ryan,
who's a former police motorcycle instructor,
I felt really safe.
But honestly, other than feeling a little awkward back there,
I really enjoyed it.
Yeah, it's kind of nice dude.
A lot of people don't get that.
I did that actually as a joke on Father's Day
a couple of years in a row.
I had her take me out and I videoed from the back.
And no, it's actually kind of nice back there.
You ain't got to worry about driving.
You can look around and nobody's yelling at you.
Stop looking at that, look down the road.
Yeah, it's funny like riding back to Sturgis,
will be riding.
And I still remember you'll pass a lot of riders
with riding two up in there,
we'll just say their wife's on the back
or girlfriend or whatever.
And I saw everything from ladies crocheting back there
to watching Netflix on iPads to literally sleeping.
And they just chill back there.
And it's great cause there,
a lot of them just have hobbies
and they're just back there just chilling out.
And I remember the couple of them, yeah, crocheting.
So yeah, it's a nice and relaxing back there.
I have mastered taking pictures at 70 miles an hour.
Like I know exactly when to smack the picture
to get perfect shot and that takes a lot of practice.
The frame rate must be insane.
Yeah, I need somebody else
cause the way I do it is probably not as safe.
I have to do it all myself.
Yeah, Jason tries to do that too.
I'm like, stop, I'll take the pictures, what do you want?
Well, let's talk a little bit.
So obviously you're doing this trip this year.
I'm curious, I didn't do a lot of research.
So it actually benefits me
cause I get to ask a lot of questions
that I don't know about.
But so we understand the 22 and 22 VSA.
How does your organization,
how does it raise money by you writing 22 states
and all that?
So we partner up with mostly Harley Davidson dealerships
and that is not how it started out.
To be honest, we kind of reached out
to all different types of dealerships
and it just so happened that Harley came on board.
And so we up at dealerships and hold an event
in the morning at a dealership.
And we sell supporter t-shirts or event t-shirts
and we have donation boxes we collect that way.
And then in the evenings,
this year we've actually partnered
with local home chapters, VFWs, American Legion, Elk Clodge
and we're holding a community dinner.
And so, excuse me, whether it's the Lodge
or the Hogue chapter, whatever,
they're putting on the community dinner,
they're charging somewhere between 10 and $15 for the dinner.
And then they're donating those proceeds
to writing 22 and 22.
So that's the main way this slide
is our big fundraiser of the year.
We'll also be doing a flag field in November this year
where people can purchase flags in honor of a loved one
and we'll feel the field with flags for people.
So we have several fundraisers throughout the year,
but this is our big fundraiser.
We also have, this year we're raffling off a 2006 of...
Heritage soft-tail plastic.
Heritage soft-tail plastic.
It's been custom airbrushed.
It has a settlement seat, clear view,
has donated a windshield for it,
it has mo-tech tethers inside the one-touch saddlebags.
It has Eagle lights, LED lights on the front of it.
And then some companies like American Freedom
and Bagger Gages,
Bagger Gages did a custom gauge for it.
And then American Freedom did some derby covers
and horn cover and timing cover for it.
So it's a pretty sharp bike.
So we're selling raffle tickets for that as well.
Every dealership that we're visiting donated a t-shirt.
We had that made into a quilt.
That will also be raffled off.
You can get tickets either online at writing22and22VSA.com
or at one of the sites
when we come through the different towns.
Rick Rack has been a big sponsor this year.
They are actually hosting us when we come through...
North Carolina.
North Carolina.
Nice, yeah, I know him well.
I talk on the phone with Shane a lot.
So yeah, good folks over there.
Right, my friend, group people.
Yeah.
So, okay, so we raised money there.
And then is anybody like...
Is it just you two that ride the 22 States?
Or is there other people that are involved?
Or how does that work?
No, we have a whole board of...
We have a board of 10 total.
10 total.
And we have 10 to 12 people.
Actually, I think we have 14 people
so far that we know of
that are riding all 22 States this year.
Now, each stop will pick up riders.
We have...
We know several people, especially through YouTube,
people in different states.
We have some friends that'll meet up then.
I think Louise Gannon ride all the way through to Florida.
I got a friend that's meeting me in...
North Carolina, actually a couple of them
that's meeting me in.
The Carolinas are riding up through to Delaware.
And then we pick up at each dealership.
We usually pick up between 25 and 50 bikes
and they may ride a state
or they may ride a gas stop or something like that.
Last year we had a gentleman who joined us in Michigan.
He was just gonna ride to the first gas stop
and he left us five States later.
He actually had gotten into a fight with his wife,
went to the dealership and said,
hey, I wanna go for a ride.
What's going on?
And they said, well, this group's coming in.
He said, that looks like somebody I can ride with.
So six States later, he went home
and last I talked, he's still married.
He must have worked it out.
Yeah, he worked it out in his head.
See, he just needed five States to figure it out.
See, he's riding, so all his problems.
Yeah, so it sounds like it's pretty,
what you're telling me, it's pretty open
for people just to show up
and if they wanna ride, they can.
Is that correct statement?
That is correct.
We encourage people to join us.
And even if, you know, we have a couple of people
that can't ride motorcycles
and they are gonna, one guy's gonna follow us in a truck.
And so we encourage that too.
If you're not able to ride a motorcycle,
but you still wanna be a part of this event,
you're welcome to follow us in whatever vehicle you have.
We met a guy in Georgia, his brother,
was ex-military and committed suicide.
And he actually rode with us through a couple stops.
On our rides, we do roadside attractions
or military memorials.
Well, instead of going from one stop to the next stop
and just beating ourselves stupid,
we go for about an hour and take a break
and went in between the stop at either the stations,
obviously, or a military memorial
or, you know, roadside attractions.
So, man, we're stopping a giant watermelon this year.
We're stopping the Eiffel Tower,
little things like that to just kind of, you know.
Keep it fun and keep it light.
So do opportunities and have some fun.
Nice. So you're doing the 22 states.
Tell me about the logistics of this.
More specifically, like how many days,
is there a specific amount of days that you're gonna,
is it the 22 days?
Is it 22 and 22?
So you've gotta make like how many miles a day
are you looking at?
We typically, I think our longest day is like 400
and some miles this year.
Next year, we have a couple days
that are gonna be a little bit longer
because the states on the West Coast
are a little further apart.
So we have some longer days next year,
but we tend to do about,
I think our longest this year might be like 467,
I wanna say, or maybe not quite that.
It's actually from Vermont to New York,
because we're going from Bennington, Vermont
to Western New York to Jamestown, Harley-Davidson.
So that's, I think is our actual longest day.
So typically is about, I would say 400 miles.
Okay, yeah, well that's a, with stops,
that's actually a fairly long day.
You know, with gas stops and lunch
and then any other sightseeing
that puts you at a real good long day.
Yeah, interestingly, we're our club this year.
We do a doc film every year and we do a big trip.
We're actually riding 18 states in 12 days,
all Northeast states.
So we're gonna be making a huge loop around there in July.
So we're looking forward to that.
Awesome.
Yeah, it looks something similar to what you guys are doing.
Just looking at their map.
Make sure they're stopping in Rattlesnake.
Yeah, I saw that.
That's not too far from us.
We're stopping where?
Make sure they're stopping at Rattlesnake in the dealership.
Okay, yeah, Tri-Cities, right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Can't wait, yep.
Okay, so next year,
okay, so next year you're doing what states?
You don't have to name them all,
but you're doing this area?
Yeah, so the dealership's already on our website.
If you go to the website and look at 2027 map,
but we're actually going to go out of Ohio,
down through Kentucky.
We're gonna go across the bottom of the United States
through like Texas and Arizona and Nevada,
over to California, up California.
We will be doing a couple of dealerships in one day
in a couple of states,
just because California is gonna take us two days
to get through.
So we will then go up to, like up through Washington,
Oregon, all those states,
and then straight back we'll go across
through South Dakota, Nebraska.
I'm just trying to think of some of the states over there,
but yeah, so we're going through all those,
and then back to, we end in Ohio
for our celebration ceremony each year.
Nice.
Okay, so if the audience, what number one you said,
so Matt's looking at it, he did more research here,
but he's looking at a map of this trip for this year.
So this is all apparently posted.
Number one, what's the website?
And then number two, I assume, based on the itinerary
that maybe you post on your website
that people can know where you are,
what time and what dealership.
That is correct.
Our website is www.riding22in22vsa.com,
and if they go into the website and go up to the menu
and click on the 2026 route map and information,
you'll see the map and beside the map,
you'll see a list of all the states.
If you click on whichever state you click on,
it'll tell you what dealership will be at,
what time will be at,
where we're having our community dinner,
who's hosting our community dinner,
if there's sponsors in that area,
what hotel we're staying at.
So each state has all that information on its own page.
And the map of the route from that state
to the next state is also on there.
And whose job is that to do all that?
Is that you?
So I put everything to get to the route, Jason does the route.
And then I send everything to our webmaster,
he's on our board and he loads it onto the website.
Very cool.
And what remind me of the dates again this year?
So we will, our bike night kickoff
is at No Cage Harley-Davidson, which is on the 21st.
That's our kickoff night.
But our actual first day of the ride
is Friday, May the 22nd, out of No Cage's Harley-Davidson.
And we'll leave from there
and head down towards Manowar Harley-Davidson in Kentucky.
Very nice.
Our last date will be Pennsylvania,
Three Rivers Harley-Davidson
and that'll be on Friday, June the 12th.
And then we'll have a big celebration ceremony
and a poker run on the 13th at Motobotique.
And that's where we'll raffle off the quilt
and the motorcycle.
And we have some other items that have been donated
for raffle, we'll do all that at our celebration ceremony.
Okay, so on an event like this,
I guess, obviously you guys are 100% nonprofit
where, you know, have funds to help
with, you know, veteran's suicide awareness.
So number one, I guess,
how much do you usually, are you able to raise
for veterans?
And then number two, I'm really interested in,
like, what does that provide?
And how do veterans take advantage
of what's being, you know, what services are there
if you're comfortable with that?
Last year we raised $13,000
for an organization called Strive,
which we work closely with.
They provide the treatment and writing 20 to and 22
provides transportation, lodging and meals
while the veteran or their caregiver
go through the treatment.
Okay.
So it's 100% at no cost to the veteran.
Very nice.
And our goal, our very goal, our goal for this year
is 22,000.
We're actually hoping to blow that number out of the water,
but our goal is 22,000.
And we will again provide transportation, lodging
and meals for some veterans and caregivers through Strive.
It has a 76% success rate that program does.
And that's, we allocate where the funds go.
So we want it to pay for a veteran
to have transportation, lodging and meals.
So they don't have to pay anything.
Another thing that we're doing with our,
with the funds, we will hold some rides.
And we're actually hoping this year to hold rides
in different states at the same time
and provide free rides.
We'll provide some veterans with gas cards.
And this year we want to raise enough to be able
to provide one veteran with the entire 22-state trip
next year.
So we'll pay for all of their hotels and all of their gas
for them to go on the 22-state ride next year.
Awesome, awesome stuff.
So I'm, Jevon's here and I'm just gonna ask this
cause I'm not completely familiar.
So Strive is the organization that you're working with.
Is that a like a inpatient type facility
that the vets go to?
Is that?
Yes, that is based here at the Ohio State University.
The Ohio State University gets grants
and such to cover the clinicians time,
the research they do and the care of the...
Veteran or the caregiver?
Those veteran, the caregiver so to speak.
But now the part that we provide is when a veteran says,
okay, look dude, I've had enough,
I'm at the end of my rope, I need some help.
Well, there's the VA, but if anybody's worked with the VA,
they can tell you it's a long drawn out process.
Strive can qualify and get this veteran
to Ohio State in two to three days
and get them in treatment and get them working
with a wonderful success rating.
When a veteran needs help,
we wanna get it to them as quick as possible
because a veteran is quick to send a, you know what?
Nobody wanted to help me, I knew this was coming, I'm done.
But they also, they're able to get this veteran
from anywhere in the United States.
That's what we do is we make sure
that this veteran in Texas says I need help,
but the program is out of the Ohio State University.
We wanna make sure that veteran is able to get from Texas
to Ohio, have a place to stay while they're here,
going through this treatment
and have providing meals for them while they're here.
So that's the portion writing 22 and 22 does
when it comes to fundraisers.
We also work with veterans,
they can call into our organization
and we can connect them with the proper person
to help them with their disability rating.
A lot of times I just had a veteran last week call me
and he had been calling and
and nobody was returning his call.
The VSO just wasn't returning his call.
So we will actually, we have a list of VSOs
that we can work with in different states
and different cities.
We'll reach out to them and actually get them on the line
and then call the veteran
and we'll actually put the two on the line together.
So we're not just saying,
here's a phone number, call this person.
That's where we lose a lot of our veterans
when it becomes a struggle
and the system doesn't work the way
that they've been trained, the system works,
that's when we lose them.
So we try at 22 and 22
to be able to make that a smooth process for them.
And we have been, that we do these 22 states,
we have the VSOs there at the dealerships and at the dinners.
So we, a lot of these VSO we may have had
a personal contact with and have built a rapport with.
So we, that's, we're trying to build a community that way too.
And for you guys listening, the audience here,
this is what gets me fired up
because, you know, a lot of us,
just citizens in general,
a lot of us complain about what the government
is and doing over certain programs is or aren't doing.
For us veterans, it's the VA.
We always talk about, oh, the VA isn't doing this
or the systems are outdated and this and that.
And while that is true,
there are thousands and thousands of us
with different skill sets, different capabilities.
That's one of the beautiful things I love about the military.
And I'm sure law enforcement as well is similar,
different people from different backgrounds,
different skill sets, all coming together for a cause
or for a purpose mission.
And, you know, individuals like this
can start organizations to do the work
that isn't being done on the upper echelon of the government.
And we can sit there and we can complain about it all day long,
but when we step up to make a difference
and have an impact in our own communities,
that's what helps America become great
and that's what helps America thrive.
And so my hat's off to you because this is something
that's definitely near and dear to my heart.
I experienced a rough challenge with,
you know, suicides across our,
you know, formation here,
you know, during my time in service.
And it hits home for me because you never know.
Yeah, I'll tell you kind of a brief story here
because I don't want to get emotional,
but, you know, came back from Afghanistan to Kandahar
and, you know, had a squad leader
who was going through some things
and went out for, the whole team came in,
went out for dinner on a Sunday night.
We went back to his house, you know, to have a good time
and kind of, you know, trying to work him out of it.
And I want to say we didn't leave his house until 2 a.m.
And we had Monday morning formation at six to run six miles.
And we were drinking obviously,
so that wasn't going to go well,
but, you know, we do what we got to do
for our brothers and our sisters and arms.
And, you know, he didn't make it to Monday morning formation
and, excuse me, but that's four hours time frame
when we left his house.
And we all went to sleep for a couple of hours,
woke back up and he didn't make it to Monday morning formation.
And that's how quick it can happen.
And so initiatives like this have a tremendous impact
on our community because you just never know.
You never know what people are going through
and also things compile on top of each other.
And so we got to really watch out
for our brothers and sisters, not just in the military,
but, you know, in life in general, checking on your people.
And this is really near and dear to my heart.
So again, my hats off to you for starting this.
Thank you.
And we work, I know, Ryan, you said you're a law enforcement
or a former law enforcement.
We actually went last year down
and we actually spoke about our organization
to the Blue Knights, which is a police motorcycle group
and sharing with them, so many of the stories are the same.
The stories are the same, it's a different welcome,
but the self is the same.
I always tell people the difference
when a veteran is gonna commit suicide
and a civilian's gonna commit suicide,
there's different warning signs.
So a warning sign with a civilian,
like they tend to leave a note
or they tend to start giving possessions away,
whereas a veteran, they've already given everything away
and they've already left everything behind
when they went into the service.
So they don't see a need to do that.
So we have to look for other warning signs, like withdrawal.
And, you know, we're big on our organization,
we say love one your family and check on a buddy,
because it just takes that one text message
or that one phone call that says,
hey, I was just thinking about you today.
And you don't even need to ask how you're doing,
just tell them you're thinking about them.
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Yeah, and backing up a little bit,
just some of what you said,
I wanna break down a little bit,
but yeah, amazing, like Devon said,
work that you're doing, you know,
like law enforcement, it's very similar.
As far as, you know, there is a high suicide rate there too
and intervention is everything
and expedient intervention.
If you don't do that, we see the consequences of that
and especially if they think they can't get help
or if there is no help, you know, they're reaching out
and there's a lot of pride involved there too
amongst military and law enforcement, you know,
and, you know, if they reach out to that friend
or have the ability to actually get somebody to respond
and pulling them out of that situation
is like that saves lives.
And so when I hear that and I don't know, you know,
I don't have, I was 30 years law enforcement,
but so I don't know all the VA stuff,
but it sounds to me, number one,
I appreciate what Devon said is, you know,
we don't rely on the government for a lot of stuff,
entrepreneurs change the world
and whether that's a nonprofit or that's just a business,
when problems need to be solved,
we don't expect the government to do it
because they're really poor at it.
And that's where just people taking up, you know,
the cause like you did and just saying,
okay, it's not working,
we're just gonna make changes outside the government
because things can get done a lot quicker
and a lot more efficient.
So whenever I see somebody step up like that,
so I don't know what the process is
and Devon, maybe you can jump in to educate me
is if you have somebody that is on the edge,
you know, dealing with stuff and they are contemplating
ending their life, is this a long process
if they go through the VA?
Like what are we talking here?
Well, the challenge is there's always,
obviously a suicide hotline
and we always encourage people to call
if they're going through something,
but most of us don't wanna make that call
because when it comes down to brass tacks
and comes down to the end of our rope, if you will,
we've already made a decision
and it takes somebody who's been through
what you've been through
and seeing what you have seen
and have done what you have done
to really have that impact on your mind state
and convince you that you still have a life worth living
and there's so much that you can still get done
and you still have a mission
because at the end of the day,
veterans are all about purpose
and when we feel like we've lost our purpose
or we've lost our way,
that's what happens, you know, getting to the end of the rope
and there's a bunch of challenges I could talk about,
but when we make that call
or when you call the hotline
or you have to make an appointment or whatever,
the appointments could be, you know,
oh, well, we can't get you in until like three months
even if it's as serious as this and you're like, what?
I need help, I need therapy, I need counseling.
Well, yeah, I get that,
but we have these other processes and systems
that we have to, or they say they have to do, right?
And I can somewhat get it
because you can only see a certain amount of people,
you know, these people also have families
they gotta get home to or whatever.
So I get the appointment thing.
However, like I said,
it takes somebody who's been through
what you've been through to just reach out and talk to you.
Sometimes that's all you need is somebody to talk to
and somebody who will listen to you
and not just say something that's been rehearsed
and that could really make a change in your life.
So when I get that the VA has its pain points
and I get that there's a lot of policies that, you know,
we have this saying in the military
where I'm sure they have it in law enforcement too
or it's just the way it is, you know,
policies hasn't been changed in freaking 20 years,
but, you know, it's just the way it is.
Yeah, it's always been that way
when nobody steps out the way to, you know, change it.
And so that's kind of been the thing with the VA
over the years.
Oh, it's just the way it is really
because technology has developed quite a bit
and you guys still can't figure out how to, you know,
create a button online or whatever to make this thing happen.
And so, you know, like I said,
organizations like this just really blow my mind
because this is what it takes to make things shift
in our culture and our society
and somebody's got to do it.
That's why my organization is called
the Grunt Works Association.
Somebody's got to do the grunt work
and we can't just shy away from it.
So, yeah.
Yeah, well said.
And the other thing that we offer at wedding 22 and 22
is people can just call in
and say they're having a hard day, you know,
my wife's being a real pain in the butt today
and I just need to talk to somebody.
A veteran can call in and talk to a veteran
or a caregiver can call in and talk to a caregiver
because anybody that's been a caregiver,
I'm actually Jason's caregiver.
And if you've been a caregiver,
you know when that veteran's having a hard day,
it lands on the caregiver.
It's our responsibility to get that veteran
to help them get through that day.
And so caregivers can have bad days too.
You know, we need to be able to have that sounding board.
And although the VA offers some caregiving assistant,
it is a very huge struggle to become that
and to get help with that.
So we offer that service as well.
You can just call in and talk to us.
You need somebody to talk to.
There's veterans on our boards.
We offer volunteers that are veterans
that are willing to talk to people
or caregivers, talk to caregivers.
But you need somebody that has been
through what you've been through.
You can't just, like you said, Javan,
that rehearsed statement just doesn't work.
Yeah.
Yeah, so on the phoning in for listeners,
you know, we have a veteran out there listening
when the podcast goes out and they wanna call,
is that like a 24 hour thing?
How does that work with the organization?
It is a 24 hour number.
They can call 24 hours a day, seven days a week,
365 days a year.
It's 614-940-3360.
And they can call that number anytime.
They can, you know, if they need us to call them
for some reason and they have access to a computer,
they can send us a message on our computer.
We respond right back to those.
We get notification as soon as somebody
sends us a message on the website.
We get a notification.
And we get right back to those messages.
Maybe they're not quite ready to talk,
but they wanna share something.
So they'll send us a message on the website.
And one of us, whoever it is,
whether it be a veteran or a caregiver,
somebody will get back to that person and say,
you know, we're here if you wanna talk,
if you need to talk, you know,
we want them to have their avenue
to feel free to release what they're going through.
Maybe they're not quite ready to talk,
but they wanna share it on the computer.
You know, they wanna share it online.
Whatever they need,
22 and 22 wants to be that support system.
Yeah, that's amazing.
And so when they call, you have a,
it sounds like you said you have a lot of veteran stuff.
Do you have people, you channel them
to a specific person or something from there?
So it depends.
We tend to take, I guess you'd say shifts.
There's a veteran and a caregiver that's like each day
that will handle those calls.
And if two happens to come in at one time,
there's always a backup.
So we have veterans and we have caregivers
and whatever particular day it is,
that particular veteran or caregiver
will respond to that call because they can,
you know, Jason may not be able to exactly relate
to somebody that served in Vietnam War,
but Jason served in Desert Storm Desert Shield
so he can relate to serving in the war, you know what I mean?
And so if we have somebody, if they say,
hey, I was in Vietnam and we have one of our board members
can served in Vietnam.
So we will attempt to connect them to them.
So they, as close as we can to relating
to what they've been through.
And so what's the best way like somebody's listening
and they wanna, you know, support your organization
and maybe they can't get involved with the, you know,
the ride, the 22 and all that.
And they're from a different state.
Is there opportunities for people to help out with that?
Yeah, they can go to the website, Riding22and22VSA.com.
There's a donation page there.
There's a volunteer page there.
They can do a monetary donation.
They can volunteer to, you know, pick up donuts
and bring it to the dealership.
If they're close to the dealership, they can.
They can volunteer to do like when we do our rides
per state, you know, if there's somebody there
that can help out there.
If they are a veteran or they are a caregiver,
they can become, we can put them,
help them with a little bit of training
and they can become a phone volunteer.
They can help us respond to phone calls
when veterans or caregivers call in.
There's lots of opportunities for help.
And there was a VFW called the other day said,
they wanted to do a donation,
but they wanted to hand write a check and mail it.
We even, if they get a hold of us through the website,
we can even give them a PO box or an address.
They take and mail it to just got in with the PO box.
So I gave them an address to mail it to.
So yeah, if they get a hold of us,
either through the phone number or through the website,
we can point them any direction they want to do.
If they want to just volunteer and make phone calls,
we can even give them a script to use to make phone calls
to ask for donations or whatever it is we need.
Whatever it is we need.
Okay, amazing stuff.
You guys, Javon, Matt,
you guys have any follow up questions?
Yeah, I want to highlight something real quick
since we're talking about the donations.
And again, it's organizations like this
who create a massive change in our society.
And so I want the listeners to kind of picture this,
if you will, just bear with me for a moment.
But if you are a coffee drinker or a coffee addict,
as I like to say it like myself,
but you go and pay for your coffee,
you don't make it at home and you spend $10 a day on coffee,
just imagine if you would,
if you're helping somebody save a life
and instead of purchasing one of those coffees per day,
you instead go to writing22and22VSA.com
and offer that $10 once a month
toward their organization, what they're trying to do.
And imagine if 500 people did that.
Imagine how many lives we could help
if more people got involved instead of spending $10
on a coffee that you might not,
I shouldn't say you might not have needed
because you still might need it to be honest with you,
but it's sacrifices, you know what I'm saying?
So if you're on the fence about donating to an organization
like this or many other organizations in your community,
think about that.
Think about what you can sacrifice realistically
to be able to help someone else because guess what?
Unfortunately, you may need help yourself someday
and you would want somebody to be in position to help you.
So let's work together as a community and as a society
to help elevate each other.
So I just wanted to put that out there for perspective.
I got one more thing.
Oh yeah, go ahead, go ahead.
I just don't know if I mentioned it,
but Riding 22 and 22VSA is a 100% volunteer organization.
So when we made these big trips, these 22 state trips,
everyone that goes pays their own gas,
they pay their own hotels out of their own pocket,
none of that comes out of the funds
that we raise for our veterans.
Everybody that does anything for Riding 22 and 22VSA
is a volunteer.
Yeah, thanks for mentioning that, appreciate it.
So do you also see, obviously this is,
we love motorcycles, we're all passionate about motorcycles
and then you're bringing those into a way
to raise awareness and funds and to help and all that.
And you've been doing it for a little while,
do you see maybe some veterans that are having some troubles
but also realize like what is this whole motorcycle thing
about and as a therapy tool and try to kind of steer them
that way, I know it's an expensive sport too,
but do you see a lot of that transition?
I don't know that I've seen that transition.
I've seen where they kind of melt into the community
of Riding because the people in Riding are just...
It's like a brotherhood too.
It is very much a brotherhood like the military was.
And usually I tell people all the time,
usually you see a group of bikers,
there's probably a charity going on somewhere,
raising money for something.
I know there were a couple of people last year
that we talked to, for example,
the one young man that we met
whose brother committed suicide.
He's now thinking about getting a bike.
He's the one that rode behind this with a car last year
and he's been thinking about getting a bike.
We do share with a lot of people how it is Jason's form
of one of Jason's forms of therapy by getting on the bike.
So we're hope just by sharing our own stories
and other people sharing their stories
that maybe somebody will hop on a bike
and find out how freeing that really is.
Yeah, that's nice.
If we're up to me, we get every veteran a bike.
There you go.
Just need to raise some more money, that's all.
Yeah, for sure.
That good self-medication.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
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Matt, you have some follow-up?
I just want to follow up on the bike raffle
that we mentioned earlier.
You don't need to be present to win that.
So you can go on to the website and buy the tickets.
Don't need to be present.
I just want to make that clear
because I think that'll help if people are aware
that you want to be there.
They'll have to go get it.
Right.
But from Washington, we can buy tickets and win that bike.
I mean, it's cool.
The deal with donating that bike is that you don't have to go
to a motorcycle dealership.
So they'll be able to work with you on getting the title
and all that stuff taken care of.
What a great opportunity.
One, you're supporting a cause, but two,
you might win a motorcycle.
Yeah, heck yeah.
Who doesn't like that?
Heck yeah.
Jason and Angel, do you have anything else
that you want to get out to the motorcycle community
about this that maybe we didn't cover?
I don't think so.
We want to thank you guys for having us on
and for helping us get, you know, get the bike.
Get the word out.
We're hoping that these type of things,
we reach somebody out there that we might not
otherwise reach.
Absolutely.
And yeah, yeah, for sure, we have no problem
and I appreciate you reaching out.
Okay.
All right, great interview we just had.
Really want to thank both of them for, you know,
just taking the time.
And like Javon said in the interview for actually
taking a position and doing something about it.
Wish there were more people like that, you know.
Absolutely, absolutely.
I didn't realize it was interesting to find
because I had done a lot of research
that, you know, they have a 24 hour, 365 line.
I mean, that's huge.
Yeah, especially for an organization like that.
Yeah.
Yeah, I know.
I don't know.
That's a big undertaking.
And then that's obviously because they care.
They're doing it with a skeleton crew like
and that gives, you know, veterans an actual number
to call worse.
They're going to get help and being able to pull them
out of a situation.
Somebody who is at the end.
I mean, it's like anything.
If you can stop that right now by a change of environment
by a chain, right?
Pull them out of there.
Yeah, that can absolutely save does save lives
and they can get the help they need
because leaving them in that situation.
That's a hard way to dig out from, you know,
so just amazing stuff.
And of course, being able to incorporate motorcycles into
it better.
That's even better.
You know, we did.
Javon gets a big smile on his face here every time.
Yeah, just awesome.
So, you know, we want you to become a patron member.
We would like to get to know you better.
We want you in the private Facebook group.
We want to give you benefits.
But hey, the way you want to support us through a flat
donation where we never bought at a flat donation.
And we want to thank the following folks, Stephen Baker
of Gold Beach, Oregon, Michael Williams of Rock Wall, Texas
and James Verdon of Madison Township, Pennsylvania.
Thank you.
We do appreciate those very much.
They go to help the cause here and they all did that.
Well, there's a couple ways.
LawBuddingBagger.com forward slash donate.
That's forward slash donate also on the homepage.
LawBuddingBagger.com.
There's a large donate button and yeah, some of them
also amazingly, you know, folks shop in our store.
We are not like the big corporate stores.
We actually use test install.
Many of the products we carry, we make videos to help the
biker community.
You're actually talking to people, you know, when you're
talking to us, you're actually talking to people that care
and ride and know they're not just somebody hired with a
headset, you know, customer service rep.
So we try to do it a little bit different.
And so in appreciation for that, I know it's still as humbling
to me as that folks will go shop in the LawBuddingBagger
store and because we help them through something and shop,
help them shop basically so they made sure they got what
they wanted, they leave a tip at checkout on top of buying
the product.
That's just still amazing and humbling.
And whenever I see those, it lets me know that we are doing
the right thing and doing it different than the larger,
you know, corporate stores.
So yeah, anyways, that's a couple of different ways that
folks donate.
So when you hear those, it's one of those three ways or two
ways they donate.
Anyways, thanks for tuning in guys.
I really hope you enjoyed the interview.
I hope you get involved.
We already said there's some simple ways, even if you can't
ride or do the event, you can get on their website, you can
donate, you know, you can get a bike, you know, yeah.
Oh yeah.
And they have ways you can volunteer to set up a dinner
at your local dealership or your local establishment for
when they come through.
So yeah, reach out to them.
Rock on.
Thanks guys.
Peace.
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