Registration is open for the Second Annual Ride for Help Our Military Heroes. The 100k (about 62 miles) and 50k (about 31 miles) cycling events start at 8 a.m. on Nov. 1.
Team zMotion hosts the ride, which starts at the Sunset Pavilion of South County Regional Park (11200 Park Access Rd.)
The cost is $25 for members and $45 for non-members. There will be rest stops stocked with food and drinks, police assistance and SAG support. The post-ride celebration includes food and drinks, music and more.
Funds raised from the cycling event will go to the Help Our Military Heroes charity, which is dedicated to raising money to buy minivans that are adapted and customized to meet the needs of severely wounded veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Help Our Military Heroes, which is based in Easton, Conn., has awarded 51 adaptive minivan grants since 2010, according to the charity’s President and Cofounder Laurie Hollander. Three of those recipients are in Florida: Brian Mast, Parkland; Tyler Southern, Jacksonville; and Joseph Deslauriers, Destin.
According to the Help Our Military Heroes website, the “hope is that by providing customized transportation, we can return their mobility and help rekindle the sense of independence our wounded service men and women enjoyed prior to being injured. These vans, the cost of which can be financially devastating for many, are customized to each recipient’s injuries, so as to ensure his or her confidence, comfort and safety.”
The need
The Congressional Research Service released its report “A Guide to U.S. Military Casualty Statistics: Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Operation Inherent Resolve, Operation New Dawn, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom” in August 2015. It documents military casualties and injuries from 2000 to 2015. According to the report, more than 327,000 of our military members fighting wars in Afghanistan and Iraq suffered traumatic brain injuries and 1,645 endured major limb amputations.
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About Lisette
Lisette Hilton, president of Words Come Alive, has had the luxury of reporting on health, fitness and other hot topics for more than 23 years. The longtime Boca Raton resident, University of Florida graduate and fitness buff writes for local, regional and national publications and websites. Find out more on wordscomealive.com.
