More than 150 injured veterans and their supporters will set off from Houston Monday, April 11, for the UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery 2016 Texas Challenge, a six-day, rehabilitative ride that ends in Fort Worth Saturday, April 16. Riders will travel more than 425 miles through College Station, Tomball, Georgetown, Killeen, Fort Hood, Waco and Cleburne, before ending in Fort Worth.
On Sunday, April 10, the public is invited to participate in the fourth annual Clay Hunt Honor Ride in Humble. The ride honors the memory of Houston native Sgt. Clay Hunt, a U.S. Marine Corps sniper who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hunt participated in Ride 2 Recovery for three years prior to his suicide in 2011. To improve access to quality mental health care, which enables veterans to better combat the physical, emotional and psychological effects of war, President Obama signed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act into law on Feb. 12, 2015.
Ride 2 Recovery supports physical and psychological rehabilitation programs for injured veterans. From indoor spinning training at military installations to multiday, long-distance rides, Ride 2 Recovery helps injured veterans heal through the challenge of cycling long distances using hand cycles, recumbents, tandems and traditional upright bikes.
"The UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery Challenge Series is all about restoring hope and purpose by providing mental and physical challenges that help veterans get their life back," said John Wordin, president and founder, Ride 2 Recovery. "There are veterans who come to these rides not just to help themselves, but to help each other. This program is unique because the vets set goals for themselves, and we combine hard work with the reward of completing their goal while pushing them past what they thought they could accomplish. For these men and women, the addition of cycling to their physical and mental rehabilitation becomes life-changing."
"The State of Texas is a welcoming home to many veterans because we appreciate their service and support their transition into civilian life," said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. "Events like Ride 2 Recovery are excellent opportunities to remind our veterans that they are not alone."
To see daily stops and events along the route or to sign up for the UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery 2016 Texas Challenge, visit https://ride2recovery.com/event.php?ID=876. The public is encouraged to gather along the daily routes or at the hotels to support the cyclists.
This is the seventh year that UnitedHealthcare will serve as the Ride 2 Recovery Challenge Series presenting sponsor, providing financial, in-kind and volunteer support to assist in the rehabilitation of America's injured veterans. UnitedHealthcare is the presenting sponsor of six Ride 2 Recovery multiday cycling challenges this year across the United States.
"We are honored to support this important health program for the men and women who have proudly served our country," said Tom Quirk, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of North Texas. "Programs such as the UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery Texas Challenge help provide exercise and rehabilitation services that are critically important to helping injured veterans enjoy a return to the health and well-being they richly deserve. We look forward to riding beside them and embarking on this challenge."
The UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery Challenge Series is one of many ways UnitedHealth Group supports veterans and their families. UnitedHealth Group is part of the 100,000 Jobs Mission, a coalition of major U.S. corporations that share the goal of hiring 100,000 transitioning service members and military veterans by 2020. UnitedHealth Group partners with a variety of organizations to help place military and veteran candidates such as the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, RecruitMilitary and the Wounded Warrior Project.
About Ride 2 Recovery
Ride 2 Recovery is a groundbreaking Veterans program that restores hope and purpose, providing a way FOR life with Vets helping Vets. Their participation provides hope, renewed life and a sense of camaraderie. The organization provides impactful and life-changing experiences that have proven to enhance the mental and physical health and wellness of our veterans.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with 1 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.
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