Bikers ride for charity
Hundreds of bikers to ride 250km around Hawke’s Bay
For Stephen Lay, depression was foreign to him, until it came crashing down — hard. Towards the end of last year, the 62-year-old was diagnosed with severe depression and had suicidal thoughts.
But it is the support of family, friends and even strangers who helped him through it, and now he wants to do the same for others.
Stop the Stigma Ride plans to raise funds and awareness for local suicide support group STAROS.
The event Hawke’s Bay.
On Saturday, hundreds of motorbikes are set to travel 250km around the region in solidarity and support. Lay says the name is poignant as 10 years ago, nobody wanted to talk about mental health issues.
Hawke’s Bay Aotearoa Riders Against Teenage Suicide ( RATS) chairwoman Frith Palmer is supporting the event.
She believes it is important for people to also understand the pain that families and friends feel when they lose a loved one. “People are told just to harden up and everything is swept under the carpet. But the more people allow for their wha¯nau to be able to talk about things, to be more open and loving and supportive, hopefully the better things can be.”
It is a cause close to her heart, as she lost her foster son to suicide 20 years ago. “We hope to raise a lot of money for them.”
The more people allow for their wha¯nau to be able to talk about things, to be more open and loving and supportive, hopefully the better things can be. Frith Palmer