UnitedHealthcare is donating $50,000 to Ride 2 Recovery to help the non-profit veterans organization purchase new custom-made bikes after 18 bikes were stolen from a storage unit in San Diego.

The replacement adaptive bikes will provide continued healing as Ride 2 Recovery is a groundbreaking veterans program that saves lives by restoring hope and purpose. The program provides a way FOR life with Vets helping Vets. Ride 2 Recovery helps injured veterans heal through the challenge of cycling long distances using hand cycles, recumbents, tandems and traditional road bikes.

“Having our bikes stolen was devastating to us, especially because we know what an enormous impact each of these bikes has for those who served our country,” said John Wordin, president and founder of Ride 2 Recovery.

“The public has responded from all over the country with people reaching out to us, making personal donations and asking how they could help,” he added. “And then, less than 24 hours from when the bikes were reported stolen, I got a call from UnitedHealthcare offering to help pay for all of the replacement bikes. All of us at Ride 2 Recovery are deeply grateful for the tremendous outpouring of love and support for these veterans and the program they love,” Wordin said.

This is the sixth year UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, is serving as Ride 2 Recovery's title sponsor, providing financial, in-kind and volunteer support to help America's injured veterans. UnitedHealthcare is the longest running sponsor of the Ride 2 Recovery program.

“Special thanks to UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans and all of those who have stepped forward to help get the Project HERO - Balboa program back and even better than before. We expect to not only replace all of the bikes that were stolen, but add additional bikes and needed support equipment,” said Wordin.

UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans is the managed care support contractor for the West Region of the U.S. Defense Department's TRICARE program, serving nearly 2.9 million military service members, retirees and their families in 21 states, including more than 796,000 in California.

“Our team is proud to support those who have served and are still serving our country in the TRICARE West Region,” said Dr. John, Mateczun, President, UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans. “It’s a privilege for us to provide this donation in support of the military families we serve.”

Ride 2 Recovery is one of many ways UnitedHealth Group supports veterans and their families. In 2012, UnitedHealth Group joined the 100,000 Jobs Mission, a coalition of major U.S. corporations that share the goal of hiring 100,000 transitioning service members and military veterans by 2020. UnitedHealth Group partners with a variety of organizations to help source military and veteran candidates such as the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, Recruit Military and the Wounded Warrior Project.

About Ride 2 Recovery
Ride 2 Recovery supports physical and psychological rehabilitation programs for injured veterans, featuring cycling as the core activity. From outdoor training at military installations to multi-day, long distance rides, Ride 2 Recovery helps injured veterans heal through the challenge of cycling using custom adapted bicycles, hand cycles, recumbents, tandems and traditional road bikes.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 800,000 physicians and care professionals and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves 45 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and wellbeing company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

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