St. Augustine’s Hometown Hero’s Ride raises $63,000 during its 3rd annual motorcycle ride

St. Augustine’s Hometown Hero’s Ride raised $63,000 during its third annual charitable motorcycle riding event.

Under the direction of Mike Minter, chapter commander of Northeast Florida's Veteran Enforcers Motorcycle Association, a military, law enforcement and fire-rescue motorcycle association, more than 300 motorcycle enthusiasts gathered April 13 to support retired U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Karlton Berry and Rise Up for Veterans, an arm of St. Augustine’s Horse Play Therapy Center.

The scenic ride throughout St. Augustine and St. Johns County began and ended at Adamec Harley-Davidson of St. Augustine.

Berry, a former signals and intelligence analyst, fell from a 40-foot tower during a training exercise, which left him paralyzed from the waist down. He became depressed and isolated, admitting that he no longer wished to communicate with anyone.

“I didn’t understand how to let people know what I needed,” he said in a recent interview for VEMA.

Berry learned about Rise Up during his Veteran Administration therapy for post traumatic stress disorder. The comprehensive equine therapy program helps wounded veterans and their families heal physically and emotionally through clinical and equine therapy activities, both riding and unmounted, designed to rebuild connection and trust. Activities are guided by certified instructors, mental health professionals and trained volunteers.

With scholarship funds supported by VEMA, Berry attended Rise Up and now sees life through a different lens.

“I trusted the process and it gave me the confidence and connection with nature that I was yearning for,” he said. “I don’t have this weight on my shoulders.”

According to Minter, the VA process to approve funds to attend Rise Up could’ve taken take months.

“We believe in immediately helping veterans courageous enough to ask for help,” he said. “Our scholarships provide immediate care to those in need.”

In addition to working with Rise Up, Berry’s bedroom and bathroom were renovated for wheelchair accessibility.

Minter noted how the injured or maimed can easily spiral into a dark hole.

“Mobility becomes a game-changer,” he said. “We’ve seen Berry grow into someone who now embraces a life with hope, and that’s what this is all about.”

Krissy Barkas, executive director of Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Builders Care gave a nod to the meaning behind Berry’s presence at the Hometown Hero's Ride.

“Seeing him smile and enjoy the day was worth the hard work that goes into putting an event of this magnitude together,” she said in a press release.

The remaining funds from the “hugely successful day” will supply injured first responders and military veterans wheelchair ramps, home mobility access and adaptive therapy needs along with Rise Up scholarships.

Since 2001, Builders Care, a faith-based, nonprofit arm of Northeast Florida Builders Association, has assisted the elderly, disabled and individuals with mobility issues by constructing wheelchair ramps and home construction for mobility access.

Minter plans to expand the "organically growing event" to serve as many as five veterans per year.

“We use our passion for motorcycling to support individuals who sacrificed themselves to protect America’s freedoms,” he said. “These are individuals embedded in honor, duty, respect, remembrance and brotherhood.”

Minter, a senior builder with MasterCraft Builder Group, worked in tandem with Adamec Harley-Davidson of St. Augustine and Builders Care, plus a myriad of sponsors to fund the Hometown Hero’s Ride.

“This is a movement, not just a moment,” he concluded. “We’re here for the long haul, even after the lights and glamour fade. Our wounded matter to us. And they will matter to us forever.”

Learn more about Staff Sergeant Berry’s story and the effect of Hometown Hero’s Ride here.

To learn more about the St. Augustine Hometown Hero's Ride, go to hometownherosride.com.

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: More than 300 motorcyclists support St. Augustine Hometown Hero's Ride