Injured Service Members Embark on Journey to Healing During Soldier Ride Jacksonville
Veterans Put Wounds Behind Them on Four-Day Cycling Event
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WHAT:
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Injured service members with Wounded Warrior Project’s (WWP) Soldier Ride, presented by GEICO, will cycle through Jacksonville, Ponte Vedra, and St. Augustine from Feb. 26-29. The injured service members will participate in health and wellness programs during the cycling event to restore their physical, mental and emotional well-being, and gaining peer support by meeting with other veterans from around the country who share similar experiences. WWP provides state-of-the-art adaptive hand cycles, recumbent, and upright bicycles to accommodate veterans with various injuries and disabilities at no cost. |
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WHO: |
Interview opportunities include veterans from the region and around the country who are working to recover from visible and invisible wounds of war and WWP staff members who help them through their journeys. |
WHEN & WHERE:
Thursday, February 26
9:30 AM-3:00 PM: Bike Fitting
Sawgrass Marriott
1000 PGA Tour Blvd
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Friday, February 27
9:00 AM: Soldier Ride Begins
1106 A1A North Suite 100
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
11:00 AM: Solider Ride Ends at Start Point
1:30 PM-3:30 PM: Foam Rolling, Lacrosse Balls, and Adaptive Yoga
Sawgrass Marriott
1000 PGA Tour Blvd
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Saturday, February 28
9:00 AM: Soldier Ride Begins
Michlers
1109 1/2 Ponte Vedra Blvd
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
12:00 PM: Solider Ride Ends
Fort Administration Building 1 South Castillo Drive
St. Augustine, FL 32084
WHY: Soldier Ride is a physical health & wellness program of WWP, which focuses on helping Wounded Warrior Project Alumni heal through a variety of programs focused on Mind, Body, Economic Empowerment, and Engagement. Nineteen Soldier Rides take place around the country and in Germany to assist injured service members in their recovery process, raise awareness for their ongoing needs, and engage community support. Soldier Ride is presented by GEICO and is supported across the country by U-HAUL (uhaul.com), a founding partner of WWP.
MORE INFO: Please visit woundedwarriorproject.org. For advance interviews with participating Wounded Warrior Project veterans and WWP Staff, contact Sarah Taylor at saraht@themeridiangroup.com or 757-358-2077. For day-of interviews, please contact Nick Kraus at 904-755-2918.
About Soldier Ride
Soldier Ride® began in 2004 when civilian Chris Carney cycled more than 5,000 miles coast-to-coast in support of WWP. In 2005, Carney again cycled coast-to coast, this time with several combat-wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldier Ride has been welcomed at the White House since 2008 when President Bush called it “the most inspiring athletic event in the country,” and most recently in April 2014 by President Obama where WWP Alumni met privately with him before the event.
Soldier Ride is a physical health & wellness program of WWP, which envisions a generation of wounded veterans well-adjusted in body, receiving the care they need to maximize rehabilitation and live active and healthy lives. Through peer support, adaptive sports, health, nutrition, and recreational activities, WWP helps warriors achieve independence and pursue an excellent quality of life.
More information on Soldier Ride is available at soldierride.org.
About Wounded Warrior Project®
Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has a vision of fostering the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history. To achieve this objective, WWP is committed to a lifetime of service and commitment through its mission: to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP currently serves more than 60,000 warriors and nearly 9,000 family members through its 20 unique programs and services. The purpose of WWP is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.