USAA Announced as National Sponsor for Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride Program
Jacksonville, Fla. (June 9, 2015)—Financial services company USAA® has generously stepped in as the new national sponsor for the Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Soldier Ride® program.
Soldier Ride is a unique four-day cycling opportunity for wounded service members and veterans to use cycling and the bonds of service to overcome physical, mental, or emotional wounds. The rides are exhilarating and a great way to help warriors gain self-assurance and realize they can still be physically active.
WWP provides state-of-the-art cycling equipment to wounded veterans to use at no cost. This includes adaptive hand cycles, trikes, and bicycles to accommodate various injuries and disabilities.
“According to our 2014 Alumni Survey, more than 82 percent of wounded service members self-identify as being overweight or obese. Soldier Ride is an important program that helps combat that statistic by providing tools and confidence to injured veterans, which helps them to kick-start a healthier and more active lifestyle,” said Dan Schnock, director of Soldier Ride for WWP. “We are so grateful to USAA for choosing to support Soldier Ride and ultimately helping veterans to thrive further in life.”
USAA has been a proud supporter of WWP since 2009 when they first launched their WWP USAA RewardsTM World MasterCard, which gives cardholders the option to turn their points into a cash donation to WWP. USAA has also supported other large events such as the WWP Courage Awards & Benefit Dinner®. To date, USAA has contributed more than $1 million to WWP to help support the 20 free programs and services offered to injured veterans, their caregivers, and families.
“USAA has been committed to supporting our military and their families since our beginning,” said Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. (ret) Doug Castle, military affinity director for USAA and client manager for the Wounded Warrior Project. “The WWP programs – such as the Soldier Ride - challenge those affected by war and rebuild their physical and mental well-being. USAA couldn’t be more proud to support them.”
USAA is an association that gets truly involved in serving the veteran community. They have graciously provided sports tickets to encourage injured veterans to take that first step in leaving their home to engage with other wounded service members and their families, hosted educational lunches regarding financial stability, and provided externships to warriors who are going through the WWP TRACKTM educational program.
Since the first cross-country ride in 2004, Soldier Ride has grown to include more than 30 rides per year and will be visiting New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Chicago, New York, and several other cities in the upcoming weeks.
To learn more about Wounded Warrior Project, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.
To learn more about USAA, visit usaa.com.
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 when 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
The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s purpose 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, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.