Hell to Paradise PTSD Awareness Campaign Set to Kick Off in July | WJMN

SAULT-STE. MARIE, Mich. (WJMN) – A motorcycle ride nearly a year in the making has just a few weeks left before the engines roar to life. The American Legion Riders Hell to Paradise PTSD Awareness Tour will hit the road at the end of July.

This ride has been a passion project for Scott Igo. He is director of the American Legion Riders at Post 3 in Sault Ste. Married.
Scott Igo, American Legion Rider director for Post 3 in Sault Ste. Married.

“It was an idea I had for a while. I suffer from PTSD myself and many veterans I know suffer from PTSD. Igo continued, “When you leave the military, you miss that camaraderie that, you know, people support you all the time. And I kept wondering, you know, how I could help. I’m just one person, but how can I help? And hell in heaven. Hell in Heaven kept coming to my mind. And if you have PTSD, you kind of understand that you live in a personal hell every day and we’re always trying to reach our own heaven.

Four organizations have been identified as benefactors of registration fees and donations. While giving back is a plus, it’s not the only goal of the hike.

“In my opinion, it’s not the money, it’s not the bodies, it’s not the bikes. The more people involved that can eventually make that one-on-one connection with someone. Igo continued, “This could be their battle buddy. It might be that person that they clicked with on multiple levels and is ready to call them at one, two, or three in the morning. That person who could save someone else’s life in the future. And that’s where I look at the whole thing.

The charitable aspect of this ride isn’t the only aspect, but Igo highlighted the four organizations and their contributions to the veteran community.

“Bikes and Battle Buddies, a motorcycle organization in the Detroit area. They’re non-veteran veterans who are all together, but they’re reaching out to the veterans who are riding motorcycles and saying, “Hey, you know, let’s come together.” Let’s go have a cup of coffee. If you need to talk to someone, call us, you know, three, four, five in the morning, it doesn’t matter. These people are available to meet with you.

“Zero Duck 30 takes veterans hunting. If you can’t afford your license, they will buy it as long as you are allowed to hunt. They will buy your shells. They have their own lures, their own boats. And that’s why they spend their personal money to bring these guys out, because sometimes it’s just that camaraderie that gets someone to open up and talk about their problems.

“Mission Six Service Dogs trains these dogs for people suffering from PTSD. The average service animal training costs approximately $20,000 per animal. The only way they can do anything is out of their own pocket or through places like us that are willing to raise money, give them money so they can give these dogs away. They don’t charge the veteran a penny. The only thing this veteran needs to do is go hang out. They work with dogs. They let the dog choose the handler, not the handler chooses the dog, and then they combine the two to work a little more together. And then at the end of the training, they present the dog to that veteran for free.

“Wilwin Lodge is a place where veterans and their families can spend five days, at no cost to them. The only thing you need to do is bring your own food and drinks. It’s a big resort type place. They have playgrounds, a lake, hiking trails, cabins to stay. And it’s a place where people can just go and decompress away from the hassles of home, work or city life. We are lucky. We live in the UP, we can disappear into the woods quickly. City people can’t. So what we do for Wilwin Lodge, instead of a monetary donation, we take gift cards for them so they can go to Meijer, Walmart or wherever and purchase supplies to maintain their inventory.

The ride will take place from July 26 to 28. There are two routes. The namesake road from Hell, Michigan to Paradise, which is just over 342 miles. The second route will take riders through the Upper Peninsula, starting in Ironwood, stopping in Gladstone Friday evening, then heading to Newberry, where the two groups will merge and continue to Paradise. Once the trip is complete, a community celebration is planned in Sault Ste. Marie to the American Legion.

Newly announced Tuesday, there are already plans to resume the ride for a second year in 2025. Igo says they are looking to connect with a UP-based veterans organization for next year.

As of this week, there are 410 participants registered with runners from all over the Midwest and as far away as Florida. If the number of registered participants reaches 500, Igo said he will keep his end of the bet and part with his signature hairstyle.

“Everyone gives me a hard time about my mohawk. It’s just a kind of signature, you know, and I made a bet that if I have 500 paying participants, that’s not 500 bikes, they’re paid registered participants. You don’t need to have a motorcycle to drive to do this. If you have a jeep, car, truck, if it’s street legal, you’re welcome. You know, bring it on. You have to register and just like for a motorcycle. Igo continued, “So I made the bet with the guy who was in charge of the American Legion Riders for the state. I said if we got 500 when we got to Sault Ste. Marie, I’ll let you shave my head. And I never thought we would get closer. And now I’m going to sort of, I’m going to be bald. It’s all fun. I mean, my hair will grow back, but I’m just excited. If we hit the 500 mark, I’ll be really excited.

Igo also thanks individuals and businesses for showing generosity by taking on part of the work necessary to make the journey possible.

“Christensen Law contacted me probably two or three months after this case started and they said, we want to participate. They took care of the entire legal aspect. There are a lot of legal things to do. Your waivers must be completed. They make sure we do things right, keep us and our riders safe.

“We have a t-shirt company where they work out of their house and they took over all of our merchandise. So, I don’t have to worry about that. And it’s a place called Southern Girl Sass, on the south side of Traverse City.

“Photography and the Adventures of Mama Bear. She does Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for free for us. She will follow the entire journey. She’s going to take photos, interview people, and at the end she’s going to write a book. She will sell the books and a large part of the resulting profits will go directly to the trip. So she does it for free and gives money at the same time. And that was incredible to me.

You can sign up to ride, donate, and learn more about PTSD here.