PALMDALE –City of Palmdale and Ride2Recovery officials on Wednesday announced the first ever Amgen Tour of California Honor Ride Palmdale, a self-paced, non-competitive ride to help raise funds for injured veterans.
The event takes place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 6 at Marie Kerr Park, which is also the starting location for Stage 3 of the 2013 Amgen Tour of California.
Honor Ride participants will ride a portion of the route professional cyclists will take during the Amgen Tour of California.
“They’ll be able to compare their times to the times that the pros post, so it’s a great opportunity to see how you stack up against pro riders,” said Ride2Recovery President and Founder John Wordin.
The event also offers the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of healing veterans.
“Our goal is to have a fun, non-competitive ride that brings together families, veterans, cyclists, fitness enthusiasts and community supporters, all of whom are working toward the same goal – 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 Ride2Recovery National Honor Ride Director Linda Glassel.
“The Antelope Valley is the perfect place to have a ride like this because we have such a rich military and aerospace industry and a community that supports our soldiers and veterans,” said Palmdale Mayor Pro Tem Tom Lackey.
The Amgen Tour of California Honor Ride Palmdale is open to injured veterans and the general public of all ages. Participants may ride one of three distances: 20, 44 or 71 miles, all of which begin and end at Marie Kerr Park, 2723 Rancho Vista Boulevard, in Palmdale. A 200-meter Honor Bike Race for kids ages 5 to 10 – with prizes – will also be held.
Participants may register at www.active.com/cycling/palmdalebr-93551-ca/atoc-honor-ride-palmdale-2013. Registration is also available on Ride day, beginning at 7:45 a.m., and the Honor Ride starts at 9 a.m.
Pre-registration is highly recommended.
Registration and packet pick-up will also be available on Friday, April 5, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Marie Kerr Park Recreation Center, 2723 Rancho Vista Blvd.
The ride is FREE to injured military, active duty or retired service men and women.
For general riders, the cost is $75 per rider, $125 per family with two adults per household, and no limit for the number of children. The Kids Honor Bike Race is $10. Discounts are available for teams. Teams of five or 10 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.
Palmdale is one of three Amgen Tour of California host cities holding Ride2Recovery Honor Rides in conjunction with the race. Escondido is holding an Honor Ride on May 12, and Santa Rosa’s Honor Ride is May 19.
Funds raised will help injured veterans participate in Project HERO cycling programs on 34 military installations and three VA sites. This includes the purchase of bikes, helmets and other equipment. Bikes are often custom-modified according to the physical needs of individual cyclists.
Project HERO programs prepare injured veterans to join one of the seven, week-long rehabilitation Challenges, presented by United Healthcare, which help them recover through the physical and mental challenge of cycling long distances.
Volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are available for the Amgen Tour of California Honor Ride Palmdale.
To volunteer, visit www.ride2recovery.com and click on “Honor Ride” then “Getting Involved.” For sponsorship opportunities, contact Stella Knight at 661-267-5699 or at sknight@cityofpalmdale.org.
For further information on Ride2Recovery, visit www.ride2recovery.com. For more information on the 2013 Amgen Tour of California, and to view the 2013 Amgen Tour of California map, visit www.AmgenTourofCalifornia.com, the City of Palmdale’s Web site at www.cityofpalmdale.org/atoc, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ATOCPalmdale.
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After viewing the video below on how Ride2Recovery helps healing heroes, High Desert Medical Group became the first sponsor of the Amgen Tour of California Honor Ride Palmdale. HDMG pledged a generous $20,000 donation, and they’re calling on other local business to do the same.
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