Ride Spotlights Veterans' Mental Health Across New York
The Dwyer Coalition's 220-mile Tour de Valor bike ride covered routes from Albany to Long Island to raise awareness of veterans' mental health.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Military
The Dwyer Coalition Military Veterans & Families held its Tour de Valor bike ride in October, covering 220 miles over 25 hours. The event aimed to spotlight the challenges veterans face when coming home.
Why it matters
The ride is intended to spread awareness of veterans' mental health and peer support while bringing the military community together. Organizers say it draws attention to issues that often go unseen after service members return to civilian life.
The Tour de Valor covered 220 miles over 25 hours, with the figures reported by the Dwyer Coalition itself. The extraction does not include attendance or fundraising totals for the ride.
The players
Dwyer Coalition Military Veterans & Families
A veterans' advocacy organization that organized the Tour de Valor to focus attention on veterans' mental health and peer support.
Gavin Walters
Executive Director of the Dwyer Coalition and an Air Force veteran who helped conceive the event and rode the route.
Adaptive Sports Foundation
An organization that lent an adaptive bike used by Walters during the ride.
The details
Gavin Walters, executive director of the Dwyer Coalition Military Veterans & Families and an Air Force veteran, helped develop the idea for the event. The ride started in Albany and traveled downstate, stopping in Greene, Orange and Westchester counties and New York City before ending on Long Island, with Walters riding an adaptive bike lent by the Adaptive Sports Foundation.
Timeline
October: The annual Tour de Valor bike ride was held.
This session: The Dwyer Coalition plans an advocacy day at the Capitol for military families.
Next year: The coalition plans another Tour de Valor.
Season Trajectory
The Tour de Valor fits within a pattern of New York veterans' advocacy organizations using high-visibility public events to draw attention to mental health and peer support. The coalition's planned advocacy day at the Capitol suggests it is moving from awareness events toward direct engagement with state policymakers.
Residents along the route from Albany through Greene, Orange and Westchester counties and New York City may encounter veteran outreach efforts through future rides. Military families who want to engage with state lawmakers may be able to take part in the planned Capitol advocacy day.
The takeaway
Veterans' mental health advocacy is increasingly moving from awareness events into direct conversations with state policymakers. Community members who want to support these efforts can watch for the coalition's next Tour de Valor and Capitol advocacy day.
What happens next
The Dwyer Coalition plans an advocacy day at the Capitol this session for military families and another Tour de Valor next year.
Further reading
Explore more military news coverage from across New York state.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WRGB.
