A convoy of Seeley Lake side-by-sides join Curt Friede's drive into Seeley Lake on Tuesday, Sept. 26. Friede is driving across the country to raise awareness for veteran and active duty military mental health.
The VALOR Ride starting off in Alaksa.
Curt Friede of Kurt's Polaris Seeley Lake is on the adventure of a lifetime, primarily to raise funds and awareness for active duty and veteran suicide prevention.
Starting in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, Friede and his team drove their side-by-sides nearly 500 miles a day through Alaska, Yukon Territory and British Columbia on the way to Seeley Lake, arriving Sept. 24.
From Seeley they will continue mostly by gravel road on their way to El Paso, Texas.
"The cause for the ride is to promote awareness about the alarming rate of suicide among veterans," Friede told the Pathfinder. "We're taking 22 days for this trip to address the fact that approximately 22 veterans, active-duty and military members daily lose their lives to suicide."
After Friede's off-road competition in 2021 in the Baja 1000 in Mexico, he wanted to do 'something else', probably go around the Northwest, he said. The Baja 1000 is one of the premiere offroad races in the world, attracting competitors from six continents.
After talking with a friend who is a green beret, Friede imagined an international adventure.
The VALOR Ride, which stands for Veterans Adventure of a Lifetime: Off-Road, was the result of that conversation. Through a partnership with the military they will be raising awareness and money for active duty and veteran mental health and suicide prevention.
In 2021, Friede competed in the Baja 1000. He did it "iron-man style," driving straight through the 1,227 mile course. After that event he "knew" he would do something else with side-by-sides.
To see updates on the VALOR Ride, follow their Instagram @valorride. To donate, simply visit their website https://www.valorride.org/donate/.
Reader Comments(0)