Special to IFN

The PTSD will host a Thirsty Thursday Bike Night event in partnership with Tilley Harley-Davidson on April 16 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Statesville motorcycle dealership. The event will feature local vendors, live music, and a community-driven effort to support veterans and first responders.

The event supports The PTSD, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on creating low-pressure, peer-based environments where individuals can stabilize before reaching crisis points. Rather than operating as a traditional program, the organization focuses on the environmental conditions that determine whether someone ever reaches a point where help, services, or support can actually work.

Bike Night will include live music from Virgil Putman, along with small businesses and community vendors offering food, goods, and services. Attendees can expect a casual, come-and-go atmosphere designed to be approachable for all, whether riding in or just stopping by.

“This isn’t about putting people into a program,” said The PTSD founder Derek DeVos, a U.S. Air Force veteran. “It’s about building environments where people can show up as they are, without pressure, and reconnect at their own pace.”

Community members will also have the opportunity to learn more about The PTSD HUB and The PATH gatherings, which provide consistent, peer-led spaces focused on presence, structure, and trust, without requiring disclosure or participation.

The event is free and open to the public. Community support will help sustain local stabilization environments, transportation access (The VetCab), and ongoing outreach across Iredell County.

Tilley Harley-Davidson is located at 1226 Morland Drive in Statesville.