Cycling Event for Injured Service Members has Big Hopes for the Big Easy

First-time stop in New Orleans assists with journey to recovery for more than 50 veterans

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May 12, 2015, 09:00 ET

NEW ORLEANS, May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wounded Warrior Project^®(WWP) Soldier Ride^® touches lives in every town it rolls through. This year, the national cycling event, which offers veteran assistance through physical health and wellness activities, camaraderie building, and healing, added more than 10 locations, including New Orleans (May 14-17).

"We visited the most southern point of the country during Soldier Ride Key West and saw some of the tallest mountains at Soldier Ride Seattle, but we can't wait to experience this city's flavor and celebrate National Bike Month in the Big Easy," said Dan Schnock, director of Soldier Ride at WWP.

The four-day event gives participants from across the country a chance to push physical and mental boundaries through adaptive sports while bonding over stories of shared service and sacrifice. All cycling equipment and activities are provided to WWP veterans at no cost through generous donations and the support of U-HAUL, a founding partner of Soldier Ride, and TREK.

"Getting back on a bike will be a welcome challenge," said Andrea Neutzling, an Army and Army Reserve veteran from Ohio who had dreams of joining the military as a small child. "I'm most looking forward to sharing this experience in New Orleans with those who went through similar triumphs and defeats while serving."

Day One: Thursday, May 14
As participants arrive, the wheels are set in motion with a bike fitting beginning at 1:00 p.m. where injured service members are fit with adaptive equipment at the Hilton New Orleans Airport (901 Airline Drive, Kenner, La. 70062).

That afternoon the group of more than 50 veterans get their first taste of the city with a bus tour beginning at Basin St., and the evening ends sprinkled with local flavor with a class at the New Orleans School of Cooking to promote healthy living habits.

Day Two: Friday, May 15
After a warm-up and safety briefing at Audubon Park Golf Course Clubhouse (6500 Magazine St., New Orleans, La. 70118), the group will depart at 9:15 a.m. for an 11-mile ride that begins and ends as a team. That evening, this generation of veterans will pay tribute to those who served before at The National WWII Museum.

Day Three: Saturday, May 16
At 8:45 a.m., the group departs from the The Shops of Jax Brewery (parking lot P404, 400 St. Peter St., New Orleans, La. 70130) to conquer an 18-mile ride. The long journey ends at Southern Yacht Club (105 N Roadway St., New Orleans, La. 70124) where the injured service men and women will trade in their bikes for sailboats. That evening, dinner will be served at the historic Ormond Plantation.

To learn how to help a veteran, please visit woundedwarriorproject.org.

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 2015 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.

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.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project