Riders on motorcycles and in cars will thread through five stops across Lake and Orange counties Saturday, paying $20 apiece to play a rolling game of poker that ends with dinner, live music and raffles at Winter Garden VFW Post 4305 — all to raise money for a Winter Garden-based nonprofit fighting veteran suicide. The bike and car ride starts at 10 a.m. at VFW Post 5277 in Clermont, following a 9 a.m. gathering and breakfast at the same post.
According to the West Orange Times Observer, riders will meet at VFW Post 5277, located at 855 W. Desoto St. in Clermont, before heading north through Lake County to VFW Post 8087 in Mount Dora and The Hideaway in Tavares, then crossing into Orange County with stops at The 1882 Tavern in Zellwood before finishing at VFW Post 4305 in Winter Garden. The Good Ole Boys will provide live music along the way, and the newspaper reports the ride includes five designated stops in all.
Non-riders are also invited to join the celebration once it reaches Winter Garden. VFW Post 4305 has invited the public to arrive at 4 p.m. Saturday for dinner, live music and raffles, with all proceeds from the day's events going to Challenge 22, per the same report.
The Local Nonprofit Behind the Ride
Challenge 22 is a Winter Garden-based 501(c)(3) whose mission is to end veteran suicide, according to the Times Observer. Since its founding in 2017, the organization has expanded beyond veterans to support active-duty military, first responders and their families, partnering with vetted organizations that have assisted more than 10,000 individuals with no reported suicides among program recipients, according to Challenge 22.
The nonprofit traces its start to Oakland resident and retired U.S. Navy officer Kurt Gies, who founded Challenge 22 after completing a solo awareness walk and meeting a fellow veteran carrying 45 dog tags belonging to friends who had died by suicide, according to Vox Populi. Gies served 25 years in the Navy and previously served as chaplain for Winter Garden American Legion Post 63, the outlet reports.
Why the Name Challenge 22
The number in the nonprofit's name traces back to a 2012 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Data Report, which estimated an average of 22 U.S. military veterans died by suicide each day in 2010, based on data from 21 states, according to Policy Research Associates. That figure became widely cited across national veteran suicide awareness campaigns even as the VA later updated its methodology. A VA report released in early 2025 recorded 6,398 veteran suicide deaths in 2023 — an average of 17.5 per day — and found that 61 percent of those veterans had not received VA health care in the year before their deaths, according to the law firm David W. Magann, P.A. Total annual veteran suicides declined slightly from 2022 to 2023, though rates for both male and female veterans ticked up over that period, the firm notes.
A Regional Crisis Behind the Local Fundraiser
Florida is home to more than 1.4 million military veterans, making up 6.5% of the state's population, and ranks second in the nation behind Texas in total veteran suicide deaths, Vox Populi reports. The outlet attributes the state's elevated figures in part to its large veteran population and high concentration of older veterans, a backdrop that helps explain why VFW posts across Lake and Orange counties are joining forces for Saturday's ride.
West Orange VFW Post 4305, the ride's finish line at 1170 E. Plant St. in Winter Garden, is led by Commander Daniel Kalagian, a retired Army First Sergeant and Ocoee resident who served in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay following a 23-year career in law enforcement, according to the West Orange Times Observer. Kalagian has also served as a service platoon leader for the veteran-led civic nonprofit The Mission Continues. The post counts roughly 240 members and more than 200 auxiliary members, and regularly hosts community gatherings including weekly Camaraderie Thursdays.
Where to Find Help
Veterans in crisis can reach the national Veterans Crisis Line 24/7 by dialing or texting 988 and pressing 1 to connect with specialized responders, per Vox Populi. The Florida Department of Health also maintains a statewide support line for former service members, 844-MyFLVet (693-5838), which connects callers around the clock with trained specialists who are often fellow veterans, according to the state health department.
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