For Immediate Release

   Photo and press opportunity                                             

Major General Donald L. Rutherford

23rd Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army to Address Wounded Warriors in Troy, NY

Troy, NY- STRIDE Adaptive Sports welcomes 21 Wounded Warriors with their families to the Capital Region for a weekend of healing through sports. Arriving in Troy, they will spend four days touring the capitol of New York State, and then join STRIDE team of instructors at Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort learning how to ski and snowboard Saturday and Sunday. 

Most of the participants are from New York State Transition units, having recently returned with medical trauma; several from Fort Drum, NY, home of the 10^th Mountain Division. Eight are alumni Warriors, invited back in mentorship role to guide the new Warriors through the overwhelming experience. 

The event kicks off with a dinner banquet to honor the Warriors Friday evening at 6pm at the Troy Hilton Garden Inn on Hoosick Street.. The public is invited to join the Warriors for a banquet with  cocktail reception and dinner.  Warriors will be escorted into the ballroom by the Schenectady Pipe Band and LaSalle Color Guard Cadets.

Honored guest speaker and native of Kinderhook, NY, Major General Donald L. Rutherford, 23^rd US Army Chief of Chaplains, will deliver the keynote address. Chaplain Donald “Rocky’ Rutherford,  is an American Army officer and a Roman Catholic priest of the Archdiocese for the Military Services who is serving as the 23^rd Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army.  On February 18, 2011, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that Rutherford was nominated for promotion to Major General and assignment of Chief of Chaplains of the United States Army. He assumed this role on July 22.

Reserved tickets are $35 per person, or a reserved table of 10 for $400 and are available at www.stride.org.

Locally, the event is recognized and supported by many elected and military officials including  Congressman Chris Gibson, Senator Roy McDonald, Congressman Paul Tonko, New York Army National Guard Major General Patrick Murphy, Assemblyman Peter Lopez; Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin; New York Army National Guard Command Sergeant Major Frank Wicks; Brigadier General Michael Shields; New York Army National Guard Command Sergeant Major Kenneth Church.

For more information please contact the STRIDE office at 518-598-1279

STRIDE Adaptive Sports

476 North Greenbush Road #9

Rensselaer, NY 12144

www.stride.org

(office) 518-598-1279

(mobile) 518-466-4251