Driving the impossible.

My family includes Veterans, first responders, and those in recovery.

The opioid epidemic hit our family hard. Until recently, my wife and I were in a constant crisis response posture, dealing with children with drug addiction and the source of those addictions. We were ashamed of our circumstances, never wanting to admit our immense struggle. Somehow, we went years without realizing the vast community of support. We were so grateful to realize we were not alone. While keeping children alive and preventing overdoses, we worked hard to pretend we were a typical, happy, healthy family. We dealt with this ongoing crisis while running two businesses, coaching little league, leading Girl Scouts and Adventure Crew, and trying to remain two parents in love. We almost lost two children to drugs before we found ourselves on the other side of multiple rounds of treatment and hundreds of hours of family and individual therapy.

The first responders in my family have struggled both mentally and physically, dealing with situations on a daily basis that no one should endure in a lifetime. During the pandemic, they have taken a direct hit with the strain placed on our healthcare system.

For more than a decade, I have worked with Veterans through my business. I have seen their struggle up close. The Veterans in my family have also had to overcome the challenge of PTSD. The number of Veterans struggling alone and dying remains far too high. We need to do better.

Iron Bird hopes to be a way we can help and give back.

One of the techniques we learned during family therapy was called “hedonic recovery.” After spending so many days and nights over many years focused on the immediate and sometimes emergent needs of others, we needed to learn how to have fun again and enjoy time together as a family and as individuals. Each of us needed to find ways to celebrate and to reward ourselves. Whether it is a coping mechanism or a method to find balance amidst the multitude of ups and downs in life, hedonic recovery is the foundation of Iron Bird.

We will continue to remind others that they are not alone, connect communities and individuals that face daunting challenges silently, and turn that struggle into a community of the empowered.

We will continue to repair and drive, even when it feels impossible. 

Our Team

Greg Blaisdell
Founder, Crew Chief, Driver, Fundraiser

Colton Harrington
Chief Mechanic, Driver, and Head Good Dude