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President George W. Bush to Host 2nd Annual Warrior 100k Mountain Bike Ride for Wounded Warriors

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Learn more about Hannah Abney.
Hannah Abney
Chief Communications Counselor
George W. Bush Presidential Center

DALLAS, TX (April 22, 2012) – From April 26-28th, President George W. Bush will host the second annual Warrior 100K (W100), a 100-kilometer...

DALLAS, TX (April 22, 2012) – From April 26-28th, President George W. Bush will host the second annual Warrior 100K (W100), a 100-kilometer mountain bike ride for United States servicemen and women seriously wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. This year’s ride will take place at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, just outside of Amarillo, Texas.

“I am honored to host 20 of our nation’s bravest souls for the second annual W100 in the Palo Duro Canyon,” said President Bush.  “I look forward to spending time with these wounded warriors in a beautiful part of Texas.  Laura and I want to remind our troops and veterans that we admire and respect them a lot.  And the W100 is a great way to remind all our fellow citizens of the unbelievable courage, skill, and sacrifice of those who wear the uniform of the United States.” The W100, along with other programs of the George W. Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative, highlights the courage and sacrifice of U.S. military personnel who served their country honorably and were significantly injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. This year, 20 warriors will join President Bush on the three-day ride. They include SGT Juan Arredondo, USA, Ret., from Universal City, TX; Cpl Daniel Carter, USMC, Ret., from Winchester, CA; SSG Joshua Chinn, USA, Ret., from Westminster, CO; SGT Bryce Cole, USA, Ret., from Cypress, TX; SSG Zach Collett, USA, Ret. from Reston, VA; Cpl Eric Elrod, USMC, Ret., from Fort Worth, TX; MAJ Daniel Gade, USA, from West Point, NY; PO3 Chris Goehner, USN, Ret., from Ellensburg, WA; LTC David Haines, USA, from Elizabethtown, KY; SGT Carlos Hernandez, USA, Ret., from Suwanee, GA; LCpl Adam Jahnke, USMC, Ret., from Charlotte, NC; SSgt David Lyon, USMC, from San Diego, CA; SFC Mike McNaughton, USA, Ret., from Denham Springs, LA; SGM Chris Self, USA, from Clarksville, TN; Cpl Dave Smith, USMC, from Berkeley, CA; 1LT Melissa Stockwell, USA, Ret., from Chicago, IL; GySgt John Szczepanowski, USMC, from Santee, CA; PVT Michael Walker, USA, from Sevierville, TN; Sgt David Wright, USMC, from Omaha, NE; and, Sgt Matthew Zbiec, USMC, Ret., from La Mesa, CA. The ride also heralds the significant contributions of organizations that support these heroes and their families while they are deployed and when they return home.  Organizations represented on the ride include the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Ride 2 Recovery, World T.E.A.M. Sports and the Wounded Warrior Project. Support for this year’s ride comes from Amarillo National Bank, American Airlines, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Trek, DeFeet and Jelly Belly. Last year, the W100 took place in Big Bend Ranch State Park in Texas. For more information, please visit www.w100k.com. For more information on the George W. Bush Presidential Center, please visit www.bushcenter.com or find the Bush Center on Facebook and Twitter. Join the conversation on Twitter using hash tag #W100.