SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA (BRAIN) — Interbike is sponsoring a Ride 2 Recovery Honor Ride at this year's trade show in Las Vegas. The 25-mile ride for wounded veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will be held Tuesday, Sept. 17, starting at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center and finishing at the OutDoor Demo in Boulder City.
The Honor Ride event replaces the annual Lake Mead Ride held during the OutDoor Demo on Tuesday mornings in recent years.
“This event is really important to us and to our industry,” said Pat Hus, vice president of Interbike. “We want to celebrate these heroes and what they have done for this country, and honestly we couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the show than with an event such as this. We are extremely proud to be partnering with R2R and Raleigh to put on what promises to be a very powerful and moving experience for the industry.”
Ride 2 Recovery works closely with Raleigh, Shimano and others to adapt bikes for injured veterans so they can find a physical and mental outlet, whether alone or in groups. As they rebuild strength and conditioning, they are also healing the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and depression. The organization was founded by John Wordin, a former racer and race team director for the Mercury Cycling Team.
“Cycling is a powerful, therapeutic exercise that can play a significant role in the healing of our nation’s injured warriors,” Wordin said. “These athletes are amazing in what they are able to accomplish and we are very proud to be able to help make their lives more fulfilling through cycling. Everyone in our industry should come out and join us for this ride. I personally guarantee they won’t be disappointed.”
Participating in the R2R/Interbike Honor Ride is free to all Interbike attendees. Participants can sign up at www.ride2recovery.com starting July 1. SAG support will be provided by Ride 2 Recovery and Raleigh.
