One of the organizations I contacted last week was the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) which is the leading national not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide.

To fully achieve its mission, AFSP engages in the following Five Core Strategies:

• Fund scientific research
• Offer educational programs for professionals
• Educate the public about mood disorders and suicide prevention
• Promote policies and legislation that impact suicide and prevention
• Provide programs and resources for survivors of suicide loss and people at risk, and involve them in the work of the Foundation             I arrived at the Lower Manhattan offices of the AFSP and after talking with Senior Director of Education, Ann Hass, I headed to the offices of Senior Director of Field Management and Development, Michael Lammas. Michael has a passion for helping children and after hearing me talk of my mission he said he was impressed with the passion for what I am trying to accomplish. During our talk, Executive Director, Bob Gebbia joined us and added some of the details of this very important organization’s mission. It is an honor to say the least, for an Executive Director to meet with me. The Kindness Bicycle, which I took up 29 floors and into their offices was a sight to behold for the entire staff. Thank you for a great visit AFSP.

Two weekends ago, I was invited by L.A.N.D. curator, Matthew Murphy, and Communications Specialist, Kyle Bowen, to take part in the DUMBO Arts Festival by parking at their studio/gallery and interacting with their clients and artists. What an honor it was to be involved with such a first-rate organization.
All fourteen of the talented artists of L.A.N.D. Studio and Gallery in the heart of Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood just finished participating in a group show at the Museum of Modern Art. The L.A.N.D. (League Artists Natural Design) Studio and Gallery is one of the creative programs founded by the League Education and Treatment Center, an agency that has been working with mentally disabled individuals in Brooklyn for over fifty years.
L.A.N.D., the first program of its kind in Brooklyn, is a studio/gallery created to give adults a chance to develop their talents in a warm and supportive environment. It provides a showcase for their art, while giving them the opportunity to express their creativity and to garner the artistic recognition they deserve.
The imposing “Tinfoil Gorilla” behind Bogart is the creation of talented artist, Dean Millien.
Some of this article was taken from the L.A.N.D. Gallery website.

With The Kindness Bicycle Ride for Heroes coming to an end, I now have a mere 11 days to do the final planning for the 9,000 mile Ring Our Country with Kindness ride (R.O.C.K.)
There are a number of national organizations that address Suicide and others that address Bullying, I decided to contact these groups by email and phone. In one day’s time of emailing and phoning, nearly anyone associated with one of these types of organizations, now knows of the Ring Our Country with Kindness ride and of One Million Acts of Kindness.
One of the organizations that responded to my email was the US Department of Education. It is an honor to hear back from them about the Bullying portion of my ride with a “shared commitment to preventing and addressing bullying.”
It just keeps getting better the longer I live out this 10 year-long commitment.

Every October, the FDNY honors all Firefighters who have died in the past year. Nearly every FDNY Firefighter, active and retired, come to this event to honor the members or their firefighting family.
This year, 5 Lieutenants, 5 Firefighters and 1 Paramedic were honored. Two of these men perished in the line of duty.
I arrived to the memorial in perfect time as everyone was asked to fall in line for the start of the ceremony. Family members of those who lost their lives were in attendance and listened to some very moving speeches given by local dignitaries. These 11 Heroes were  honored by the thousands of Firefighters who lined up along a 5 block stretch of Riverside Drive in Manhattan. To me this was the most fitting way to finish this nearly 9 month long Kindness Bicycle Ride for Heroes.

My final Firehouse visit was today. The Ten House was my 212th visit to a New York City Firehouse. I visited this Firehouse 2 years ago during my summer-long visit to New York City. This Firehouse holds special meaning as it is located in Ground Zero.
Vincent, a Firefighter of nearly 7 years met with me and we talked about some of the details of The Kindness Bicycle Ride for Heroes. He was excited about posting one of my hand out sheets on the board in the Ten House for all to see.
Even though I have but one last stop on this ride tomorrow. I have a bit more to wrap up before this ride is over and then transition into my next ride. Time is ticking away. It is hard to believe how fast this summer in New York City has flown by.

I must have ridden by the New York State Court Officers memorial at least 50 times this summer. I would stop nearly every time as I made my way along this often traveled route. Today is the last time I will be riding this route.
Thomas, William and Mitchel are 3 of the Heroes who chose to leave their offices on September 11th to help those who here hurt after the first plane crashed into the World Trade Center tower. They never made it out.
Every time I would stop, I would say 3 prayers for them and for the rest of the inhabitants of this world that all the pain and suffering being experienced will cease. Somehow, I think it is going to take a whole lot more of us praying.