By Richard Rhinehart
Holbrook, New York, April 17, 2017 – National non-profit World T.E.A.M. Sports’ inclusive April 28-30 Face of America bicycle and hand cycle ride to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, today welcomed the support of Dell EMC as a participating event partner.
The annual two-day journey to the Civil War battlefields of Gettysburg honors military veterans who were disabled during their service through injuries or illness. Two routes, from the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and from General George Washington’s historic winter camp in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, lead to Gettysburg. There, more than 600 riders from both routes will join together for the final miles through the solemn battlefields to the gala conclusion at the AllStar Expo Complex at the Eisenhower Hotel. This year, nearly 160 adaptive athletes from all service branches will ride the two routes.
“This is my fifth year riding with Face of America,” says David Stickley, Dell EMC Federal’s director of business development and an Air Force veteran. “Supporting this effort, and then getting to ride alongside these wounded warriors, to witness their strength; it’s a moving and inspirational experience.”
Military veterans from throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada join together in Face of America, which first ran in 2000 as a cross-country ride. In 2002 and 2003, Face of America re-routed to a Manhattan to Pentagon route to honor the victims of the September 11 attacks upon America. During these years, more than 2,000 athletes participated. In 2006, the route was changed to honor and remember the sacrifices military veterans make in their lives to defend their country.
Veterans participating in Face of America ride standard upright bicycles, recumbents and hand cycles to cover the more than 100 miles between each route’s beginning and conclusion. Paralysis, amputation, blindness, Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injuries are some of the disabilities these athletes live with each day. In riding Face of America, able-bodied civilians, active-duty military and retired military veterans join together with the adaptive athletes so that each participant successfully completes the long journey.
For the participating adaptive military veterans, it is the sense of community and belonging that helps them build a sense of purpose in life and determination to succeed. Athletes have reported many times that the ride and its supportive participants helped them take control of their lives. For the participating able-bodied athletes, the inspiration of the journey together helps change lives through sports.
World T.E.A.M. Sports’ 2017 Face of America is presented by Capital One Bank and supported through sponsorship and partnerships from several leading companies including American Portfolios Financial Services, Benson Botsford LLC, Booz Allen Hamilton, Brioni, CYCLEBAR Columbia Pike, Dell EMC, Devens Recycling, Dunkin’ Donuts, FreshBikes, ForeScout, KT Tape, Penske Truck Rental, Pershing, Rescue 22, Sila, Strive, SUBWAY of the Walter Reed National Military Center, Three Wire Systems, Tom’s Creek United Methodist Church, TORRE Consulting Services, Vedder Price and Veteran Corps of America.
Why Dell EMC Supports Face of America
Dell EMC Federal provides the foundation to help modernize, automate and transform government data centers with industry-leading servers, storage, cloud computing solutions and converged infrastructure technology. Our goal is to help the federal customer transform for the future…and enable human progress. Dell was recently named Top Veteran Company, “Best of the Best,” by U.S. Veterans Magazine and, in a recent survey, was found to be the number one employer allowing veterans to feel happy and fulfilled in their private career sector career. EMC has been named for the third year in a row Best for Vets employer by Military Times.
