Ride 2 Recovery Cycling Event to Honor Local Fallen Hero Blake Howey
Join in the cycling fun and help injured veterans lead healthier lives

The Ride 2 Recovery Honor Ride is spinning into Agoura Hills on April 27 and will celebrate local fallen war hero Blake Howey of Glendora. Everyone is invited to join in the cycling fun to support America’s healing heroes. The Honor Ride Agoura Hills, presented by Chevrolet, is a self-paced, non-competitive ride to be held on April 27, 2013. Injured veterans and the general public can ride one of four distances – 17, 40, 62.5 or 100 miles – all of which begin and end in Agoura Hills.

Joining the riders will be Ride 2 Recovery founder and President John Wordin; Ride Director-Challenge Series, Bruce Gustafson; and injured U.S. Army veteran Juan Carlos Hernandez. “I’ve seen the real benefits of cycling for injured veterans. Ride 2 Recovery helped me, so it’s great to be part of this program,” said Hernandez, who handles VIP rider assistance for Ride 2 Recovery. “The physical aspects of the ride are challenging, but the real recovery it provides is mental.”

The Honor Ride Agoura Hills will honor the service, values and memory of U.S. Marine L.Cpl. Blake Howey. L.Cpl. Howey, from Glendora, CA, was killed while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq, on February 18, 2007, after only three weeks in Iraq. “Although Blake was only 20 when he died, he had an impact on so many lives,” said Audrey Nichka, Blake’s mother. “If someone was in need, Blake was the first one there to help. He was devoted to protecting his loved ones and was proud to serve his country,” added Nichka. The family’s fundraising efforts to send packages to Howey’s battalion in their son’s memory became the initiative to establish a war memorial honoring all of Glendora’s fallen soldiers. The Glendora War Memorial broke ground a few weeks ago.

The April 27 Honor Ride Agoura Hills will wind through the hills and vistas of Agoura Hills and the surrounding neighborhoods of the national headquarters of Ride 2 Recovery. “It is an honor and privilege to bring the Honor Ride home to the Woodland Hills area, to get the community together to raise funds and awareness for our healing heroes and to provide another means of rehabilitation for them through the wonderful sport of cycling,” said Ride 2 Recovery National Honor Ride Director Linda Glassel.

Ride 2 Recovery, a program produced by the Fitness Challenge Foundation, supports physical and psychological rehabilitation programs for injured veterans, featuring cycling as the core activity. From indoor spinning 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, recumbent cycles, tandems and traditional road bikes. Funds also support the equipment donated to each healing hero participating in the events, including bikes that require modification due to injuries.

Ride 2 Recovery has established Project HERO programs at 34 military installations and three VA sites. Through these on-site programs, Ride 2 Recovery partners with the facility staff and cadre to create personalized and progressive programs to fit the needs of the individual patients and promote a fuller, quicker rehabilitation.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHEN: Saturday, April 27, 2013
6:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.: Registration and Packet Pick-up
Following start times are based on route length:
100-mile and 62.5 mile: check in at 6:30 a.m., ride starts at 7:30 a.m.
40-mile: check-in at 7:30 a.m., ride starts at 8:30 a.m.
17-mile: check-in at 8:30 a.m., ride starts at 9:30 a.m.

Note: Registration and Packet Pick-up also available Friday, April 26, 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Newbury Park Bike Shop (1560-6 Newbury Rd., Newbury Park, CA 91320, 805-498-7714)

WHERE: Honor Ride Agoura Hills starts and finishes at:
Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station
27050 Agoura Road
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
818-878-1808

REGISTRATION: Pre-registration highly recommended.
Sign up at: http://www.active.com/

COST: No cost to injured veterans to participate.
The general public of all ages is invited to ride.
$75 – per rider
$125 – per family – 2 adults same household and no limit for children

Teams:
Discounts are available for teams.
Teams of five or more cost $60 per rider.
A portion of the registration fee is tax-deductible and includes tech shirt, route slip, SAG support and rest stops.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission CPSC helmets must be worn at all times by all riders.

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