UnitedHealthcare Delivers Replacement Bikes Stolen from Local Veterans Organization

• Veterans with Ride 2 Recovery’s Project HERO at Balboa Naval Medical Center embark on inaugural ride with new bikes

UnitedHealthcare presented Ride 2 Recovery with a new fleet of bikes at a ceremony this morning on the U.S.S. Midway Flight Deck. Earlier this month, UnitedHealthcare donated $50,000 to the nonprofit veterans organization after learning 16 bikes were stolen from a storage unit in San Diego.

Dr. John Mateczun, president, UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans, presents a bike to Retired Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Alex Victorino at a ceremony this morning on the U.S.S. Midway Flight Deck. UnitedHealthcare presented 16 replacement bikes to Ride 2 Recovery's Project HERO Balboa group, of which Victorino has been a participant since 2013. To his left is Jamie Rihn, Ride 2 Recovery's Project HERO Balboa coordinator (Photo: Wally Nell).

The replacement adaptive bikes will be used by Ride 2 Recovery’s Project HERO program at Balboa. Ride 2 Recovery is a groundbreaking veterans program that restores hope and purpose providing a way FOR life with Vets helping Vets. Its participation provides hope, renewed life and a sense of camaraderie. The organization provides impactful and life-changing experiences through cycling that have proved to enhance veterans’ wellness and mental and physical health. Project HERO (Health Exercise Rehabilitation Opportunity) programs are community-based at local VAs or military installations, and provide injured veterans with cycling training year-round with other veterans. There are 70 Project HERO programs across the country.

Attending today’s ceremony were leadership from Ride 2 Recovery and UnitedHealthcare, along with participants of the Ride 2 Recovery Project HERO program, including retired Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Alex Victorino. Victorino served 16 years in the Marine Corps and was injured in Afghanistan. He lives with combat PTSD and has been a member of Project HERO Balboa since 2013.

This is the sixth year UnitedHealthcare is serving as Ride 2 Recovery's title sponsor, providing financial, in-kind and volunteer support to help America's injured veterans.

About UnitedHealthcareUnitedHealthcare 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 850,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

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.

About Ride 2 RecoveryRide 2 Recovery is a unique mental and physical rehabilitation and recovery program for veterans. The veterans are able to adapt, improvise and overcome the issues they face. 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.

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UnitedHealthcareHeather Soule, 310-993-3762orRide 2 RecoverySheri Goldberg, 818-888-7091