11-05-2025
Cycling across Ohio: Ride for Hope raises funds, awareness for suicide prevention
Devin Gonzales said that when he was young, he struggled in silence with his mental health.
Gonzales, now 30, recounted a time in his early teens when the darkness felt all-consuming and unavoidable.
"I remember going to bed with a knife in my hand and then falling asleep (and) waking up and seeing the knife on the ground and knowing that I am just thankful that I didn't proceed," he said.
Fast forward about 10 years to 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing, and many were likewise feeling an unavoidable heaviness.
It was then that Gonzales' friend and then-roommate Josh Snead became interested in bikepacking.
As an experienced thru-hiker who completed both the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails, Snead was excited about the opportunity to get out of Columbus and traverse the entire 340-mile distance across the state of Ohio by bike, stopping each night to set up camp and resume the next day.
Immediately on board with the adventure and the opportunity to connect in a socially distanced era, Gonzales began planning how to give the ride a bigger purpose.
"It was kind of soul-crushing and mentally challenging for a period of time, and so I couldn't imagine other people that already had stuff going on and dealing with that," Gonzales reflected.
"It stirred us to focus on the mental health awareness piece."
Separately, down in Cincinnati, Sam Woodward had already been brainstorming ways to use his own passion for cycling to make a difference. After seeing Gonzales' post about the ride and its purpose to raise awareness and funds for mental health on Facebook, he was on board.
"I had a teammate in high school, a football teammate, who lost his life to suicide, so I think it's something that more people can relate to," Woodward said.
Four men — including Snead, Gonzales and their friends, Woodward and Jake Jones — took on the challenge.
Ride for Hope was born.
The inaugural Ride for Hope was held in September of 2020 from Cincinnati to Cleveland in honor of Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. The group biked across Ohio to raise funds and awareness for suicide prevention and mental health.
"None of us had ever done a bikepacking trip before. None of us had ever done a charity event before," Woodward said.
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"I always say that first year is going to hold a really special place I think in all of our hearts, just because it was so much of a learning curve and really just an adventure."
Since 2020, the group has raised thousands of dollars to go toward the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF).
What could have been a one-time adventure to get through a challenging time still hasn't stopped rolling.
On March 28, Ride for Hope gained nonprofit distinction, and Woodward's wife, Mariah, is now on board as a co-chair, along with her husband and Gonzales.
Five years on, Gonzales said the biggest impact for him has been using his story to help others through a challenging time.
"It's just an honest privilege to pour myself out for something like this, to be a part of something like this, to see people come into a light or embrace a light — to be like, 'I'm not alone. I can get through this like this (other) person did,'" he said.
The group has undergone its annual ride each year with an ever-growing number of riders. The 2025 ride will be held Sept. 19-22 this year.
Snead and Woodward both noted the surprise they've felt at the community response and the strength in sharing their message to break the stigma and connect with people.
"Every year, when we do the bike ride, we meet people because our jerseys have the suicide hotline (number) on there, and they say 'Ride for Hope.' People see that as we're cycling, and we'll just be anywhere taking a break, having lunch or something, and people will come up to us and be like, 'Hey, I lost my brother,' or, 'I lost my dad.' Just countless stories," Snead said.
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"They want to thank us for doing what we're doing; even though it's for us, we're not doing it for any kind of glory. We're just a group of friends that have created this platform (that) is now able to help spread the word."
Beyond the annual ride, Gonzales said the community involvement has really taken off. Ride for Hope regularly holds group rides.
"I want to foster a good culture of just caring for others as well," Gonzales said.
"I feel like that's the mission and vision for Ride for Hope in the cycling community: build out the infrastructure of breaking the stigma, of having this conversation about suicide and be like, 'Hey, it's OK. It's literally OK.' It's normal. We're all human. We all struggle."
If you or someone you know needs mental health resources and support, please call, text or chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.
This article was made possible by support from the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation, which has partnered with The Columbus Dispatch to profile those making our community a better place. Help us inspire kindness by suggesting people, initiatives, or organizations for Reporter Sophia Veneziano to profile. She can be reached at sveneziano@ Learn more at The Dispatch retains full editorial independence for all content.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ride for Hope raises funds, awareness for suicide prevention
