Mattersville Great Rebuild Tour: Bike Across the Country
82nd Airborne Division Veteran, David Childress, bikes across the United States to raise critical funds and awareness as part of Mattersville’s Great Rebuild Tour!
On Friday, May 13, 2022, David Childress began his journey of biking across the country to benefit the Mattersville mission and bring awareness to the 22 Veterans we lose each day to suicide. In true #TOGETHERSTRONG fashion, the First Nation Group family came out to support – the Fort Myers team hosted a send-off event for David and our friends at Mattersville in honor of the official launch of the Great Rebuild Tour!
Mattersville, a nonprofit based out of Colorado, focuses on providing sustainable housing for Veterans, in hopes of helping to reintegrate them into civilian life; believing that wellness, dedication, integrity, and support will be the platforms for them to reclaim their lives and thrive. In addition to their Veteran housing program, Mattersville rescues abused and neglected wolf-dogs from across the U.S. Veterans on the Mattersville property and these wolf-dogs are given the opportunity to heal together while forming unbreakable bonds with one another.
“There are several reasons why Mattersville holds a special place in the hearts of the Denver team – whether it be providing tiny homes to Veterans in need, combating PTSD through the assistance of the animals on the property, their work to raise awareness of Veteran suicide, or their animal rescue efforts. These initiatives are amazing and a true reflection of what Mattersville does. They provide Veterans a space for healing and the tools they need to get back on their feet. They provide purpose and direction when many of the Veterans that come to Mattersville for assistance feel like they have none.”
– Andrew Dymarkowski, Corporate Development Coordinator
David started his journey in Fort Myers, FL, and will make his way to Cannon Beach, OR, where he plans to complete his trip by September 11th. Through this journey, David hopes to meet other Veterans to offer a safe platform for them to discuss mental health and lend a nonjudgmental ear, while also raising critical funds to support the purchase of Mattersville’s Colorado property, currently on loan, but instrumental in continuing the mission.
Since our Fort Myers team helped kick off the tour, David has biked to Jacksonville, FL, where he and Drew Robertson, Mattersville Founder and Executive Director, visited the memorial of a dear friend. Even after hitting a few obstacles with his bike and running into a few transport issues, David is back on the road and making his next stop in Nashville, TN! Along the way, he was also able to drop in at the Niceville office, where he was accompanied by several wolf-dog puppies that our local team had the chance to meet as well.
First Nation Group is excited to have the opportunity to support Mattersville and David in their efforts to end Veteran suicide by making a difference in the lives of our nation’s heroes, one person at a time!
Be sure to keep an eye out for more information on LinkedIn as we will be providing updates as David makes his way across the country. In the meantime, if you would like to follow along in real time, check out Drew Robertson and David Childress on TikTok!
Drew Robertson TikTok: pack22alpha
David Childress TikTok: pack22disciple
You can also follow along on Mattersville’s Facebook page as David periodically provides updates via Facebook Live.