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New York Post 876’s Legion Family leads effort to bring suicide prevention and awareness to community members.

Four years ago, American Legion Riders Chapter 876 in Sherburne, N.Y. made a connection between the Legion’s veteran suicide prevention mission and the mission of the Riders.

That connection started with a charity motorcycle ride and has since grown to include a community wellness fair, the most recent taking place in mid-September and drawing multiple local and federal agencies focused on mental health and veterans assistance.

“It was pointed out to us that Be the One is ‘Ask, listen, reach out,’ which is ALR, which are the initials of the Riders,” said Melanie Haines, Chapter 876’s secretary and the newly elected president of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 876. “Our Rider family is just that – we’re a family, and everybody was passionate about the Be the One program. So we decided to do a ride to support the mission.”

ALR Chapter 876 Director Bill Haines – Melanie’s husband and a member of both Post and Sons of �������� Squadron 876 – said the wellness fair came about the following year. “I’ve been on rides before, and I know that’s nothing going on back at the post,” he said. “I was thinking that maybe we should have some kind of fair or something to bring in other organizations and put out information.

“At the same time, the ladies that were back at the post were also talking about the exact same thing. So when we had our first meeting after that ride, we all decided that it was something that we needed to do.”

Melanie said both she and Bill had attended suicide prevention and education talks, which led to Post 876’s Legion Family teaming with the Chenango County Suicide Prevention Coalition to put on the wellness fair.

“We’ve been doing it since and hoping it grows every year,” Bill said. “And we’re continue doing it as long as we can.”

Agencies at this year’s fair included the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Chenango County Health Network, and other area agencies and nonprofits that support the health and well-being of the community and its veterans.

Post 876 also manned a Be the One table at the fair, where those working it were able to connect one parent with resources for her veteran son, while a local hospice organization was able to gain two new volunteers.

“We wanted to reach out to the community to let everybody know that there is this information out there and that it’s not a bad thing to seek help when you need it,” Bill said. “It’s dear to me. I was diagnosed a couple years ago with PTSD and depression and anxiety. I did have suicidal tendencies. I’m better now. This really helped me focus on myself and to be helping other people in the community.”

The ride itself has drawn as many as 30 participants over the course of four years. All of the money raised through the ride goes toward Post 876’s Be the One program and supporting veteran mental wellness.

“Our thought it that is doesn’t matter how many people we get,” Bill said. “It’s that we’re getting the word out about Be the One. If we touch one person about it, it was well worth it.”

“It’s just letting our veterans and our community know where they can reach out to when they’re struggling,” Melanie said. “And it’s letting them know about the Be the One program so that they can have a tool in their back pockets through the app so that they can recognize the signs, and look at their friend or neighbor and say, ‘Hey, I can see that you are struggling. What can I do to help?’ That’s important.”