8/29/13 - About 200 U.S. military veterans, along with supporters and volunteer staff, were in Howell Wednesday as part of their Ride 2 Recovery bicycle ride. The event is held each year to bring attention to the problems and needs of veterans who have experienced injuries, mostly in war-torn areas like Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the leaders in the group is retired Lt. Colonel David Haines, who hails from Massachusetts. He is a decorated veteran who was seriously wounded in 2006 when his unit was hit by a roadside bomb outside Baghdad. A lieutenant colonel in the infantry, he suffered shrapnel injuries to his hands, arms and legs. Tuesday night the riders were in Lansing and Haines says they were fortunate to escape the heavy thunderstorms that flooded streets in the Lansing area, including a portion of the East Lansing campus of Michigan State University, where the group stayed overnight. The Ride 2 Recovery, which started out in Chicago, stopped at the Livingston County Sheriffâs Department in Howell Wednesday for lunch and a needed break before continuing its trek to Detroit. The ride, which is not a fund-raiser, is funded in advance through corporate donations. Six Ride 2 Recovery bicycle rides are held around the country each year. Spokesperson Debora Spano says this is the first time they have been in Michigan and the riders have received an enthusiastic reception from Michigan residents. (TT)
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