WASHINGTON — The eighth Wounded Warrior Project, Soldier Ride attracted more than 100 service members, and gave the President a special opportunity to show his appreciation for Veterans.
Veteran Affairs Secretary, Gen. Eric Shinseki praised President Barack Obama’s funding commitments in his opening remarks. Shinseki cited government budget allocations that led to a 24 percent decline in veteran homelessness, and “more than 2 million additional veterans have enrolled in VA healthcare,” he said.
The April sun beamed down on Veterans and Wounded Warriors, on the South Lawn of the White House during the late morning ceremony. The Wounded Warrior Project builds bikes customized to fit to service members with any condition. They include hand cycles, and trikes to accommodate a full range of injuries and disabilities. Averaging 17 miles per day, the bikers will spend three days riding, ending on Saturday.
At the ceremony, Obama honored the sacrifice of men and women in the active military and also those in the Wounded Warrior Project. As he commended the Veterans he said,”Biking nearly 60 miles in three days would be a challenge for anybody, but for all of you this is a lot more than a bike ride- – this is a mark of how far you’ve come.”
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