Find your people.
One ride a month. Anyone. Anywhere. Any vehicle. Because the hard months are not the ones with an event on the calendar.
Why we do this
Once a year, a Ride Out of the Darkness® annual event brings a whole community together. The flagship in Lakeland, Florida has run for six years, and groups around the country are building toward their own. For one day, people who have carried something heavy find out they were never the only one.
The person who needed to hear something in February does not get it in February.
That is the whole reason Riding Groups exist. One ride a month, in your own town, on your own roads, all year long. Not an event you wait for. Something that is already there when the hard month shows up. And a group that grows into it can host its own annual event, in the month that fits its own weather and community.
Riding Groups are one part of it
Love Surrounds You® is a national 501(c)(3). Here is everything the ride connects you to.
Care scholarships
We fund six sessions with an approved provider for people who cannot afford it, and we pay the provider directly. Clinical or holistic. Confidential.
Circles of Support
Free weekly online support circles, kept small, led by a trained facilitator. One for grief, one for healing. Nobody is ever required to speak.
The Resource Network
A vetted directory of counselors, therapists, and holistic practitioners, built state by state so a scholarship is usable where you actually live.
The annual event
Ride Out of the Darkness®. A fully escorted ride and a rally with vendors, music, food, and a lane of real resources.
The Travel Train
Multi-state convoys that carry riders to the annual event, led by volunteer captains. Nobody makes the trip alone.
360 Partners
360 people giving $30 a month to keep all of it running. Individuals, families, businesses, churches, and riding clubs.
Every ride feeds all of it. A group is where somebody first hears that care is affordable, and where they find the person who walks them to the door.
What a Riding Group is, and is not
What it is
- A monthly ride, open to anyone
- Peer support. People who understand, standing in a circle, saying true things out loud
- Free. Bring gas money and buy your own lunch
- Every vehicle: motorcycles, trikes, Jeeps, Broncos, cars, trucks
- A place where mental health is a normal thing to talk about at a gas stop
- Somewhere to show up once, or every month
- A way to get to real help if you want it
- A group of people who become family, if you keep showing up
What it is not
- Not a club. Not an MC. Not a patch club
- No colors, no ranks, no territory, no dues
- Not therapy, and not clinical treatment. We are peers, not clinicians
- Not a fundraiser you have to donate to
- Not a place anybody is going to fix you or give you advice
- Not something you have to talk at. Show up, ride, go home. That counts
- Not for experienced riders only
Nobody here outranks anybody. Whether it is your first ride ever or your thousandth, you are the same amount of welcome. People come once because somebody dragged them, and a year later they are the ones dragging somebody else. That is how this works.
Three ways to ride
Each area can run all three. Groups start with whichever one has people ready.
Motorcycle
Two and three wheels. Staggered formation, escorted, easy pace set to the least experienced rider present.
Jeep & Bronco
Open air, doors off, trail runs and road runs. Same rides, same themes, same people.
Cars & Trucks
Classics, muscle, daily drivers, work trucks. If it has wheels and you want to be there, you belong.
Do not drive or ride at all? Come anyway. Meet us at the start, meet us at the stop, eat with us afterward.
How we behave
Every group runs on one question: is this coming from love, or is it coming from fear?
Almost everything that hurts a community is fear wearing a costume. Gossip is fear of being on the outside. Ego is fear of not mattering. Drama is fear looking for company. Silence, the kind that kills people, is fear of being seen as weak.
Everyone is welcome here
Any vehicle, any experience level, any background, any belief, any story. Somebody's politics, their record, their diagnosis, or their worst year does not disqualify them. Behavior toward other people is the only thing that does.
Nobody outranks anybody
No ranks, no seniority, no inner circle, no earning your way to the front. The moment a group develops a pecking order, it stops being a place where somebody struggling feels safe walking up.
No gossip. No drama.
What somebody shares at a gas stop does not travel. Not to the group chat, not to a spouse, not to “just one person who would want to know.”
No politics. Ever.
No candidates, no endorsements, no political posts on group pages or at rides. This kills more community organizations than anything else.
Your information is yours
Member lists are never sold, rented, or shared with a sponsor or anybody else. No photo of a minor is published without a parent's consent, and anybody can opt out of photos by asking.
If something is not right, say so
Tell your group leader, or email us directly at info@lovesurroundsyou.org. Nobody is ever retaliated against for raising a concern, and a leader who retaliates loses their group.
Find a group
Nothing near you yet?
Tell us where you are. When a group starts within reach of you, you will be the first to know.
You are not committing to anything, and we will not email you about anything else.
Add me to the listOr start the one your town is missing.
You do not need to be an expert in anything. You need a co-leader and one Saturday a month.
Start one where you liveTell us where you are
We are growing state by state. Leave your city and we will tell you the day a group starts near you.
What happens at a ride
Show up 30 minutes early
Coffee, introductions, and you sign a waiver. Every rider, every ride. If it is your first time, somebody will find you.
The pre-ride meeting
Route, stops, formation, and who is leading and riding sweep. Ten minutes standing in a circle before anybody starts an engine.
Sixty seconds on why we are here
This month's theme, and one question. That minute is the reason this is not just a ride.
The open floor
If you are carrying somebody, say their name. If you are having a hard month, you can say that too. Nobody has to say anything, and nobody is going to fix you or give advice.
Ride
Forty-five to ninety minutes, one stop. Nobody gets left behind. Sweep rides last and never passes anybody.
Eat, and stay a while
The conversation after the ride is the actual program. The ride is the excuse.
Who does what on a ride
These are volunteers, not staff. Every one of these roles exists so that somebody is watching out for you.
Group Leader
Owns the calendar, the route, and the tone. Runs the pre-ride meeting.
Co-Leader
Required, not optional. Runs the ride when life happens, and is the second name you can go to.
Road Captain
Owns the route. Pre-rides it the week before, then leads and sets a pace the whole group can hold.
Sweep
Rides last and never passes anybody. If you are behind the sweep, you are lost. Nobody gets left behind.
Welcome Rider
Watches for the person who came alone and looks unsure, and makes sure they are not alone for the rest of the day.
Wind Therapy Coach
Leads the sixty seconds and holds the open floor, and is the named person you can pull aside at a gas stop.
The Certified Wind Therapy Coach
Every rider already knows what wind therapy is. Nobody had to explain it. It is why people ride when they are angry, grieving, or coming apart, and it is the one form of self-care this community never had to be sold on.
A Wind Therapy Coach is a trained peer who knows what to say, what never to say, and where the door is.
What a Coach is not. Not a therapist. Not a counselor. Not a clinician. Not qualified to diagnose, treat, or advise anybody about their care. Every Coach says that out loud at every ride.
What a Coach does
- Leads the sixty seconds that says out loud why everybody is there
- Holds the open floor and keeps its ground rules
- Is the named person a rider can pull aside at a gas stop
- Knows the safe messaging standards and models them
- Connects somebody to scholarships, circles, and crisis resources
- Follows up the next day with anybody who opened up
The training
- Self-paced and online, six to eight modules, four to six hours
- Covers safe messaging, warning signs, asking the direct question, the gas stop conversation, and taking care of yourself while carrying other people
- Open to group leaders, any rider, dealership and shop staff, and people with no group at all
- Renewed annually
The certification is being built right now. Tell us you want in and you will be in the first cohort. Ask us at any ride, or email info@lovesurroundsyou.org.
Twelve months, twelve reasons
Every month has a theme and a question. You get the question before the ride, and then you have an hour alone in a helmet to turn it over. That hour is the part that does the work.
The First Mile
Riding in January is a statement that you are still here.
“What are you carrying into this year that you would rather put down?”
Love Surrounds You
The month of the name, and what Kristen's words actually mean.
“Who made you feel less alone this past year?”
Ride for the One You Miss
A remembrance ride. Riders carry a name.
“If you are carrying somebody today, say their name.”
Kristen's Ride
The founding month. Every group in the country rides.
“What is something you do because somebody else showed you how?”
Break the Silence
Mental Health Awareness Month.
“When was the last time you told somebody the actual truth about how you are doing?”
Rides for the Ones Who Served
PTSD Awareness Month and Men's Health Month.
“What did you learn never to talk about, and who taught you that?”
Freedom to Feel
Flags, first responders, and the freedom to say you are not okay.
“What are you free from today that you were not a year ago?”
Back to School, Back to Basics
Youth mental health as school starts.
“Who was the adult who noticed you when you were a kid?”
Out of the Darkness
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.
“What kept you here?”
Ride to the Rally
The Lakeland flagship, or whichever annual event is closest to you.
“Why do you keep showing up to this?”
We Ride for You
Veterans Day and gratitude.
“Who are you grateful for who has no idea?”
Nobody Rides Alone at Christmas
Holidays, grief, and the empty chair.
“Who has an empty chair at their table this year?”
It does not always have to be the theme
Any month, a group can set the calendar aside and ride for one person who needs it. This is the format that means the most to the people it happens to.
The Honor Ride
In Lakeland we did a send-off ride for a kid leaving for the Air Force. A new recruit, about to walk into the hardest thing he had ever done, and people showed up to ride for him.
He will remember that for the rest of his life.
Who a group rides for:
- Somebody shipping out, deploying, or coming home
- Somebody starting treatment, finishing it, or hitting a recovery milestone
- A family that just lost somebody
- A first responder retiring, or a department after a hard call
- Somebody facing a diagnosis, a divorce, a job loss, a fire
- Somebody who has quietly held the group together and has never once been the one celebrated
We always ask the person first, privately, and we only say publicly what they want said. Riding for somebody is about showing up, not explaining them to the internet.
Other ways groups ride
Not every month looks the same.
Poker run
Five stops, five cards, best hand wins. Reliably doubles the turnout.
Sunset ride
Short, easy, ends somewhere with a view. Good for a first-timer.
Coffee and conversation
Thirty minutes of riding and ninety of talking. Where the real connections happen.
Ride to a business
Start or end at a dealership, shop, or restaurant that supports the group.
All-vehicle ride
Bikes, Jeeps, cars, and trucks together. Slower pace, bigger turnout.
The invite ride
Everybody brings one person who has never come before.
A drive or a service ride
Toy runs, coat drives, school supplies. The ride ends somewhere it did some good.
The annual event
When a group is ready, that month becomes their own Ride Out of the Darkness®.
Set up a table where your town already gathers
Your group does not only ride. Once you are running, the fastest way to reach the person who needs this is to put a table where they already are.
Where a group sets up
- Dealership bike nights and open houses
- Community festivals, fall festivals, and county fairs
- Vendor fairs, craft fairs, and farmers markets
- Car shows, Jeep meets, and truck shows
- Veterans events and first responder appreciation days
- Church events, health fairs, and recovery events
- Another organization's charity ride
What we send you
- The Booth Kit guide. Table layout, what to say, and what to do when somebody tells you they lost somebody
- Print-ready files for every flyer, brochure, rack card, and wallet card
- Table tent designs and a retractable banner file
- A sign-up sheet to capture names on the day
- A packing list with quantities so nothing gets forgotten
You print locally or order at cost. Groups cover their own materials until the organization can fund them.
What a booth is actually for
Somebody learns they can afford care
This is the whole reason. Most people never start because of cost, and they have no idea a scholarship exists.
Somebody takes a card for a person they are worried about
They will not say who it is for. That is fine. Give them two.
Somebody signs up to ride, volunteer, or start a group
The sign-up sheet is how a group of six becomes a group of thirty.
Somebody gives, sponsors, or becomes a 360 Partner
Last on the list on purpose. Money follows relationship, not the other way around.
If one person takes a card and calls the number two months later, the booth was worth it. Everything else is a bonus.
Two things that change everything about a table
- Stand in front of the table, not behind it. A table between you and a stranger is a barrier, and people will not cross it to ask a hard question.
- Put the wallet cards where somebody can take one without talking to you. The person who needs it most will not make eye contact.
Before you book one
- Tell us. We will confirm materials and whether the venue needs anything from the organization
- Never work a booth alone. Two volunteers minimum
- Never collect money at a booth. Point people to the website, same as always
- Read the Crisis Response Policy first. Somebody will tell you something hard
Start one where you live
You do not need to be an expert in anything. You are being asked to organize one ride a month and make sure nobody who shows up feels alone. That is the job.
What we give you
- The Riding Group Book: guide, themes, safety rules, forms, and everything you sign
- Your Facebook group, created and branded by us, with you as an admin
- Logos, ride graphics, and the four posts you pin on day one
- Twelve monthly themes delivered with the graphic and the script
- Print-ready resource cards, flyers, brochures, and booth materials
- Promotion through our national channels
- A monthly leader email, a leader call, and somebody who answers
What we ask
- A co-leader. Required before we approve anything, not optional
- One ride a month, consistently
- A signed waiver from every rider, every ride
- No handling money, ever. Everything goes through our website
- No politics, no gossip, no egos
- A six-line report each month
- Never turn somebody away because they do not ride
It takes two people to start a group.
This is a Group Leader and Co-Leader application, and both names are required before we can approve anything. Not a backup, not somebody you will find later. A second person who has already said yes.
Every group that folds, folds because one person carried it alone. The co-leader runs the ride when life happens to you, and is the second name a struggling rider can go to. Find that person before you apply.
How it works
Find your co-leader first
Before anything else. A friend, a spouse, somebody from your shop or your church. Ask them to read this page with you.
Apply together
One Group Leader and Co-Leader application, about ten minutes. It asks for both names, both phone numbers, and both emails. An application without a named co-leader is not complete.
We call you
Two reference calls, then twenty to thirty minutes with the national office. We want your co-leader on that call too. We want to know why you both want to do this.
Both of you sign
The Leader Agreement is signed by the Group Leader and the Co-Leader. You are both operating under it.
We set you up
We build and brand your Facebook group and add you both as admins. You get the book, the logos, the themes, and every form.
First ride within 45 days
Short, easy route, one food stop. Five to twelve people is a normal first ride, and that is a good one.
Not a rider, but you want to help? You can be certified to facilitate a Circle of Support in your community, or you can become a 360 Partner and fund the care directly. Nobody who wants to help walks away with nothing.
Group Leader and Co-Leader application
Both names are required. If you do not have a co-leader yet, that is your first step, not a reason to wait to talk to us.
About the Group Leader
- Name, city, state, email, phone
- Which vehicle group: motorcycle, Jeep and Bronco, or cars and trucks
- How long you have been part of this riding community
- Other clubs, groups, or organizations you are part of
- Have you organized a group ride before
- Why you want to do this. This is the answer we actually read
- Two references we can call
About the Co-Leader
- Name, email, phone
- Their relationship to you
- Confirmation that they have read this page and said yes
- Whether they can be on the approval call with you
Both of you will sign the Leader Agreement, and both of you will be admins on the group.
Forms and downloads
Everything here is also in the Riding Group Book. This is for the days the book is not in your hand.
Questions
Is this a club?
No. No colors, no ranks, no dues, no territory, and it is not an MC. It is a monthly ride anybody can come to.
Do I have to ride a motorcycle?
No. Every vehicle is welcome, and non-riders are welcome at the meet-up, the stop, and the meal.
Does it cost anything?
No. Bring gas money and buy your own lunch.
Do I have to talk about anything?
No. Show up, ride, go home. That counts. Nobody is ever required to speak.
Am I insured on the ride?
You ride on your own license and your own insurance, same as any day. The group does not insure anybody's vehicle or injuries, and every rider signs a waiver.
Can I bring my kids?
Anybody under 18 needs a parent or legal guardian to sign the waiver and to be present at the ride. A minor never rides as a passenger with anyone other than their own parent or guardian.
What if my town is small?
Good. Small towns are where this works best, because everybody already knows each other. Five to twelve people is a normal first ride.
What if I am not a leader type?
Most of our best leaders would say the same thing. You need a co-leader, a calendar, and the willingness to say sixty seconds out loud once a month. We give you the words.
What if my state already has a group?
Then start one in your area, or a different vehicle division in the same area. States are big. We will help you sort out where the line goes.
How often do groups ride?
Once a month, on the same weekend every month. A group can run a second smaller ride if it wants to, and two is the ceiling. Consistency matters more than volume.
How are groups named?
By the area people actually call home, plus the state, plus the vehicle type. “Central Florida Motorcycle” or “Polk County, FL Jeep & Bronco.” We help you pick something big enough to grow into.
Where do I buy a shirt?
One store for the whole country, so a rider in Ohio wears the same shirt as a rider in Lakeland. Groups do not sell merchandise or handle money for it. Ask your leader for the link.
What if I am struggling right now?
Come to a ride and tell the leader, or reach out to us directly. If you need help today, call or text 988. Veterans, press 1.
Nobody rides alone.
Find a group near you, or start the one your town does not have yet. Either way, you are part of something that runs all year.
info@lovesurroundsyou.org
988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline · call or text 988 · Veterans press 1