Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride (WWP) in Israel

--National ride heads abroad to join veterans of Israeli Defense Force--

NEW YORK, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Injured American service members and soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces began their second week of biking through Israel today.  This event marks a continuation of WWP's international initiatives which include outreach services at military hospitals and bases in Germany.

Beginning on October 13, wounded warriors from the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and their Israeli brothers, departed for a rehabilitative bicycling ride which will ultimately take them from Caesaria, an ancient Roman port on the Mediterranean, to the Lebanese border, the Sea of Galilee, the Judean Hills, Masada, the Dead Sea, visiting three Israeli army bases, and culminating with a ride with Israeli soldiers and civilians, both disabled and non-disabled through Tel Aviv on October 24. This event marks the first time that Wounded Warrior Project's national Soldier Ride has traveled abroad.

In July, members of the Israel Defense Forces, recently injured in the conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza, traveled to New York to take part in that city's Soldier Ride for a fourth year, thanks to assistance from the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF).  Now, U.S. warriors are visiting Israel at the invitation of FIDF, a non-profit organization that cares for the wellbeing of Israel's soldiers, to offer both nations' service members an opportunity to share their experiences and learn about how their countries care for their wounded warriors.

As part of the ride, warriors were welcomed at the home of the American Ambassador to Israel James Cunningham.  "We are truly honored and moved to see our American heroes riding alongside veterans of another nation's armed forces and welcomed so warmly in Israel," said Steve Nardizzi, Wounded Warrior Project Executive Director. "Not only does this mark a new chapter in WWP's history, but it is an opportunity for each participating warrior to forge an international friendship with a fellow warrior."

Soldier Ride is a program of the Wounded Warrior Project that provides adaptive cycling opportunities across the country for wounded warriors. Soldier Ride is designed to restore the physical and emotional well-being of our newest generation of wounded warriors. All participants with a disability or missing a limb or limbs are provided the adaptive equipment customized to their individual needs.

About Wounded Warrior Project

The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded warriors. Its purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public's aid for the needs of injured service members, to help injured men and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan organization headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. To get involved and learn more, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org.

About Friends of Israel Defense Forces

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) is an American charity organization that is the gentle hand that cares for the wellbeing of the brave young men and women who defend the Jewish homeland. Every day, in many ways, its growing reach makes a difference in the lives of these heroes through social, educational, cultural and recreational programs. FIDF is dedicated to the care of each and every active IDF soldier as well as to the non-active soldiers through scholarship programs and to the welfare of families of fallen soldiers. FIDF is a 501(c)(3) organization. (www.fidf.org)

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project