May 2025
Read the original article in The Gardner News
Open Sky Community Services will host the first Edward’s Ride for Mental Health Awareness on Saturday, May 10, according to a community announcement.
The event, which will begin at 11 a.m. at the Gardner Elks Lodge and Monument Park, is in memory of Edward Landry. It aims to raise awareness about mental health and benefit the Crystal House Clubhouse.
Tim Landry, Open Sky's Developmental Disabilities Service Director, organized the ride to honor his son Edward, who passed away in May 2024. The event is designed to support individuals facing mental health challenges.
More than 150 bikers, passengers and friends are expected to participate in the scenic, police-escorted, hour-long ride. Following the ride, a barbecue will be held in the park, where attendees can access mental health resources.
“Behavioral health is a key component in helping the individuals we serve to live beyond their own expectations and perceived limitations,” said Open Sky President and CEO Ken Bates. “Edward’s Ride is a wonderful way to destigmatize mental health while honoring a light extinguished too soon in the community. The funds from the event will go toward helping many individuals facing challenges similar to those Edward experienced to gain support and achieve recovery.”
The Crystal House Clubhouse, located at 55 Lake St. in Gardner, is a program of Open Sky dedicated to the rehabilitation of adults recovering from mental illness. The internationally accredited clubhouse provides participants with access to employment, education, daily living, safe housing and meaningful connections.
Dozens of individuals from the Gardner area visit Crystal House weekly. The clubhouse serves several communities, including Gardner, Templeton, Winchendon, Ashburnham, Westminster, Hubbardston, Princeton, Barre, Rutland, Oakham, New Braintree and Hardwick. People from other communities can participate virtually.
Open Sky Community Services is a Worcester-based nonprofit agency that has been helping individuals in the community for over 50 years. The agency provides a wide range of services throughout Central Massachusetts for children, adults and families with mental health challenges, intellectual and developmental disabilities, substance use disorders, brain injury, homelessness and other complex challenges.
Open Sky has over 1,300 employees and nearly 150 programs throughout the region, supporting over 8,000 individuals annually. The organization is committed to race equity and is on a journey to learn, grow, teach and transform.
For more information about supporting or registering for Edward’s Ride for Mental Health Awareness, visit openskycs.org/ride.
This story was created by reporter Beth McDermott, bmcdermott1@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct or share your thoughts at http://bit.ly/3RapUkA with our News Automation and AI team.