Ruff Ride returns to Pittsburgh this weekend to raise money for service dogs for veterans

If petting puppies, riding a spin bike and raising money for veterans sounds like a good time, you're in luck. 

Ruff Ride returns to Pittsburgh this weekend, bringing together riders, veterans, families, and supporters for a 24-hour spin relay benefiting Team Foster and its mission to provide accredited service dogs to injured and disabled veterans.

The event runs from 10 a.m. Saturday through 10 a.m. Sunday at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Duquesne University's campus.

It's part fitness challenge, part festival and part fundraiser. Individuals, companies, service organizations and groups of friends can form teams, sponsor a stationary spin bike and take turns riding throughout the 24-hour event. Riders can participate for as little as 15 minutes or for several hours, depending on their team's schedule. 

But you don't have to ride to be part of the event.

"Anything from live music, food, drinks, Quizzo, a midnight glow ride, 3 a.m. BMF ride, and of course, a puppy kissing booth, which is probably everybody's favorite," said Nick Liermann, founder and CEO of Team Foster.

Team Foster brought Ruff Ride to Pittsburgh six years ago. The organization raises money to provide accredited, lifesaving service dogs to injured and disabled veterans and provides ongoing support to veteran-service dog teams. The event also has a personal connection to Pittsburgh.

"We are headquartered out of the Philadelphia area, but we are named after my friend Eric Foster, who was born in Oil City, went to high school in North Allegheny, so is a Pittsburgh native. And that's where he and I met when I was a student at Pitt," Liermann said.

Team Foster was created in honor of Foster, a fallen local hero.

"All the proceeds benefit Team Foster and our mission of veterans, service dogs, and community, and primarily that goes to pair injured and disabled veterans with lifesaving, accredited service dogs," Liermann said.

According to Team Foster, its service dogs can be trained to assist veterans with needs including post-traumatic stress disorder mitigation, epileptic seizure detection, blood insulin detection, and panic attack disruption.

"It's incredible, right, when you see the impact that these service dogs can have, because they're doing really complex things," said Liermann. "You name it, you can train a service dog to do it."

Ruff Ride is currently accepting registrations for riders and volunteers. People who don't want to ride can still attend, cheer on participants or make a donation.

Parking is free and available at the Forbes Garage at 1180 Forbes Ave., about 50 yards from Cooper Fieldhouse.

Registration, volunteer information and the full event schedule are available at Ruff Ride Pittsburgh.