ATLANTA, March 31, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HD Supply (Nasdaq:HDS) is proud to announce its title sponsorship of the "Shepherd's Men" run. The Shepherd's Men is a 13-member team of servicemen and one civilian, who will run from New York City to Atlanta to raise awareness and funds for the Shepherd Center's SHARE Armed Initiative. The SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center is a comprehensive rehabilitation program that focuses on assessment and treatment for service men and women who have sustained a mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
"We are extremely grateful for the men and women who serve our country and protect our freedom every day," said, Joe DeAngelo, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, HD Supply. "We are honored to support the Shepherd's Men's rigorous efforts to take care of our returning warriors."
To raise awareness and funds for the program, the Shepherd's Men will run 911 miles in eight days. The run starts on April 19 at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City and ends on April 26 at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. Each member of the team will run the equivalent of a half-marathon (13 miles) each day, while wearing 22-pound flak vests and armor plates. The vests simulate the gear worn by U.S. Military troops and symbolize the difficulties many experience after returning from combat.
"We will carry 22 extra pounds in the vests to bring attention to the 22 deaths by suicide of U.S. veterans every day," said Travis Ellis, civilian organizer of the run. "Through this run, we are sharing the burden our veterans carry every day as they try to rebuild their lives."
The Shepherd's Men goal is to raise $250,000; of which, 100 percent of the proceeds will be used for the SHARE Military Initiative. Please visit shepherdsmen.com for more information and to make donations.
About Shepherd's Men
For the second year, The Shepherd's Men will run to raise awareness about the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center and to raise funds to help support it. Private funding is needed to make SHARE's life-saving program available to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who suffer from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress. The 2015 goal is $250,000 and donations can be made through the shepherdsmen.com website. The runners are active or retired servicemen and one civilian who are committed to helping those who have sacrificed so much for this country and all who enjoy the freedoms they volunteered to protect. #SHARETheBurden
About Shepherd Center
Shepherd Center, located in Atlanta, is a private, not-for-profit hospital specializing in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord injury or brain injury. Founded in 1975, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation and is a 152-bed facility. Last year Shepherd Center had 965 admissions to its inpatient programs and 571 to its day patient programs. In addition, Shepherd Center sees more than 6,600 people annually on an outpatient basis. For more information, visit Shepherd Center online at www.shepherd.org.
About HD Supply
HD Supply (www.hdsupply.com) is one of the largest industrial distributors in North America. The company provides a broad range of products and value-add services to approximately 500,000 customers with leadership positions in maintenance, repair and operations, infrastructure and power and specialty construction sectors. Through approximately 650 locations across 48 states and seven Canadian provinces, the company's approximately 15,000 associates provide localized, customer-driven services including jobsite delivery, will call or direct-ship options, diversified logistics and innovative solutions that contribute to its customers' success.