2nd Annual Brandon Marshall Mental Health Awareness Ride May 16

The 2nd Annual Brandon Marshall Mental Health Awareness Ride will be held Saturday, May 16. Project 375 (formerly the Brandon Marshall Foundation), Starved Rock Harley-Davidson and Linden Oaks Behavioral Health are sponsoring the event. Proceeds will go to Project 375, which is devoted to raising awareness of mental health issues and connecting those who need treatment to resources and care. Mental illness affects more than 60 million people in the U.S. One in four adults struggles with some type of mental health disorder.

Marshall, an NFL wide receiver, formerly with the Chicago Bears, now with the New York Jets, was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder in 2010. Since then, he and his wife, Michi, co-founded Project 375, a nonprofit organization with a mission to end the stigma associated with mental illness, advocate for unprecedented awareness and paint the world lime green (the official color for mental health awareness).

Activities for the 2015 Ride will begin on Saturday, May 16 at 8:30 a.m. at the Linden Oaks Outpatient Center, 1335 N. Mill St. in Naperville. Brandon and Michi will welcome riders and guests, and make opening comments at 9:45 a.m. The Ride will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude about 50 miles later at the Starved Rock Harley-Davidson dealership, 750 Centennial Dr. in Ottawa, where there will be additional activities, including entertainment, food, raffles and prizes.

All makes and models of motorcycles are welcome. Registration for one bike/driver, including a ride bracelet and lunch in Ottawa, is $25. Passenger registration, including a ride bracelet and lunch, is $15. A private VIP meet-and-greet session with Marshall from 8:30-9:30 a.m., including bike registration, continental breakfast, photo and ride lanyard, is available at a cost of $75. The cost of the VIP session for a non-rider is $50. For more information and to register online, visit http://brandonmarshallride.eventbrite.com.

For more information about or to make a donation to Project 375, visit www.project375.org.

Starved Rock Harley-Davidson/Buell is a family-owned, customer-focused motorcycle experience, located off I-80 in Ottawa, Illinois. Only 17 miles from Starved Rock State Park, the region offers country roads for uncongested and scenic motorcycle excursions. For routes or directions, call (815) 431-1900, e-mail staff@starvedrockhd.com or visit www.starvedrockhd.com.

Linden Oaks Behavioral Health has a 108-bed hospital on Edward Hospital’s Naperville campus and outpatient offices in Elmhurst (in partnership with Elmhurst Hospital), Naperville, Plainfield, St. Charles, Woodridge and Yorkville. Linden Oaks also manages behavioral health services for Northwest Community Healthcare. For more information, visit www.lindenoaks.org. For immediate assistance and a free and confidential mental health assessment, call the Linden Oaks 24/7 Help Line at (630) 305-5027.