Meet the 2024 Beneficiary: The Summit Project
What Is The Summit Project?
The Summit Project is a Maine-based nonprofit with a mission as clear as its name: Maine Heroes Are Not Forgotten. They preserve the memories of Maine's fallen service members by creating memorial stones — each one engraved with a hero's name — and carrying those stones on hikes, rides, and other meaningful journeys across the state and beyond.
The idea is powerful in its simplicity. Participants carry a stone, learn the story of the hero it represents, and share that story with others. The weight of the stone is a reminder. The act of carrying it is a promise.
Andrew and The Summit Project
CPL Andrew L. Hutchins is among the Maine service members honored by The Summit Project. His memorial stone has been carried by participants who have learned about his life — his childhood in New Vineyard, his years at Carrabec High School, his service with the 101st Airborne Division, and his death in Afghanistan on November 8, 2010 at the age of 20.
Choosing The Summit Project as the first beneficiary of the ride wasn't just a practical decision. It was personal. Andrew's name is already part of their mission. Supporting them meant supporting the very organization that had been carrying his memory forward.
You can read Andrew's full tribute on The Summit Project's website: thesummitproject.org/cpl-andrew-l-hutchins.
The Ride's Giving Record
The CPL Hutchins Memorial Ride has raised funds for a different Maine veteran organization each year:
- 2024 — The Summit Project
- 2025 — Travis Mills Foundation
- 2026 — Operation Reboot Outdoors
The 2027 beneficiary will be announced soon. Every dollar raised goes directly to the chosen organization — no administrative fees, no overhead taken from donations.
Join Us in 2027
The 4th Annual Ride is set for Saturday, August 7th, 2027 — 61 miles from North Monmouth to North Anson, Maine. All vehicles welcome.