Cincy cyclists biking to Cleveland for suicide prevention

CINCINNATI (FOX19) - A Cincinnati cyclist is riding from one side of Ohio to another to raise awareness of and funding for the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.

Sam Woodward and three cyclist friends will depart from the Purple People Bridge Wednesday morning around 6:30 a.m. Over the next five days, they’ll ride 349 miles to Cleveland’s Lake Erie waterfront.

You can follow their journey on the foundation’s Facebook page or Instagram page, and Woodward invites you to join in for a few miles to show support, as he says many people have already promised to do.

Woodward explains he and his friends have been personally affected by what he terms the suicide mental health crisis.

“It was on our hearts to do something bigger than ourselves, bigger than cycling, that will hopefully do a lot of good and save a lot of lives,” he told FOX19 NOW Tuesday.

“I think there are a lot of people who are unaware of how serious the issue of suicide is and how many people it really affect, and I just think it’s important to make this part of their lifestyle, being educated on the matter and knowing how to deal with it, knowing how to identify it in people and address it appropriately and effectively.”

Woodward says the ride raised $2,907 for the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation.