ATLANTA, March 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HD Supply (NASDAQ:HDS) proudly announces its third consecutive year as title sponsor of the Shepherd’s Men Run. The eight-day run is led by the Shepherd’s Men, a 17-member team of active duty, medically retired and honorably discharged servicemen, civilian patriots and HD Supply’s Chairman and CEO Joe DeAngelo as an honorary member, in order to raise awareness and this year’s goal of $2.2 million for Atlanta-based Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative.
Every day from May 22 through May 29, the Shepherd’s Men will run 13.7 miles (22K) while wearing 22-pound flak vests and armor plates that symbolize the 22 deaths by suicide of U.S. veterans every day. The vests simulate the gear worn by U.S. military troops and provide visible acknowledgement of the physical, mental and emotional burden many experience after returning home from combat. DeAngelo will match the team mile-for-mile remotely while also wearing the 22-pound flak vest.
The Shepherd’s Men and their annual run raises funds and awareness for SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center in Atlanta. This comprehensive rehabilitation program focuses on assessment and treatment for military veterans that have sustained a mild to moderate Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of post-9/11 conflicts.
“We are honored to support the Shepherd’s Men and their steadfast commitment to help our military veterans re-acclimate fully and successfully to civilian life,” said DeAngelo. “As one HD Supply Family, we proudly fight for our servicemen and women who selflessly fought for the freedoms we enjoy every day.”
The 2017 runs begins on May 22 at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, PA, honoring the courageous civilians who gave their lives stopping Flight 93 from being used as a weapon on 9/11. To pay tribute to these heroes the team will each wear 71 pound packs over their vests for a total of 93 pounds for the first leg of the run. Each city thereafter 2 members will rotate carrying that honor. The full Shepherd’s Men run itinerary is as follows:
- May 23 – Washington DC
- May 24 – Lynchburg, VA
- May 25 – Raleigh, NC
- May 26 – Asheville, NC
- May 27 – Nashville, TN
- May 28 – Athens, GA
- May 29 – Atlanta, GA – running into Shepherd Center
“We run to share the burden our veterans carry every day as a result of their time in combat,” said Shepherd’s Men co-founder and 2017 Citizen Heroes Award recipient Travis Ellis. “It is our duty and privilege as Americans to fight for our heroes who we are forever indebted to for their service to our country.”
In addition to the title sponsorship, HD Supply also launched the Shepherd’s Men Challenge for associates to join in and support the Shepherd’s Men and SHARE Military Initiative. More than 1,000 of HD Supply associates, and the HD Supply Board of Directors, have committed to pushing their physical limits and completing a personally challenging physical activity of their choice every day during the 2017 run.
The Shepherd’s Men 2017 goal is to raise $2.2 million, of which, 100 percent of the proceeds will be used for the SHARE Military Initiative. The team has raised nearly $1.4 million for SHARE since its inception in 2014. Please visit shepherdsmen.com for more information and to make donations.
About Shepherd’s Men
For the third 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 2016 goal is $2.2 million, to facilitate program expansion, and donations can be made through the Shepherdsmen.com website. The 2017 runners are active, medically retired and honorably discharged servicemen and civilian patriots who are committed to helping those who have sacrificed so much for this country and all who enjoy the freedoms they volunteered to protect. #SHARETheBurden22
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 specialty construction sectors. Through approximately 500 locations across 48 states and six Canadian provinces, the company's approximately 13,000 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.