Chevrolet Supports Wounded Heroes

April 8, 2011 4:30 pm ET

With a crowd of cheering Achilles Freedom Team members, veterans, volunteers, GMers and interested passers-by, a brand new 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD made its way down 38^th Street in New York City on Thursday afternoon.

The Achilles Freedom Team, which helps veterans disabled during their service rehabilitate and compete in athletic events, as well as providing training to use specialized adaptive devices, such as hand-crank wheelchairs, was honored with the keys to a new brand new Chevrolet Silverado. The keys were handed off during the Army-Navy Football game in December, by General Motors CEO, Dan Akerson and the truck arrived, tricked out with Achilles Freedom Team decals and safety features at the organization’s headquarters in New York City yesterday afternoon.

The official delivery of the truck was made by Spencer Carter and John Gahan of Chevrolet to Dick Traum, founder of Achilles International and board member Bruce Mosler.

The Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans members Evan Marcy and Alfredo De Los Santos immediately check out how many hand cycles they could fit in the back of the truck, and showed off their new bikes and racing skills after the team took delivery of the truck.

Alfredo said, “I am very excited we have a truck like this so we can move around and we don’t have to depend on other people. And I am very happy for what is happening today, so thank you.”

Evan told us, “[The Achilles Freedom Team] helped wounded vets like me to discover that there is another form of exercise since most of us weren’t able to continue running or normal bike riding, so we were introduced to hand cycles.”

And Genna Griffith, director of the Achilles Freedom Team for Wounded Soldiers said, “Today is an incredible day because we now have an official vehicle, donated by GM, in order to transport hand cycles and wheel chairs to work outs at Walter Reed and various marathons across the country to help support our rehabilitation program.”

Chevrolet provided the truck to the team supporting its athletes and veterans with disabilities. Evan and Alfredo both sustained injuries in Afghanistan that resulted in leg amputations. In addition to continuing treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Even is competing in the Boston Marathon in just two weeks! Their new truck will transport the team’s hand cycles, equipment and team members to the race.

Chevrolet continues to salute and support America’s heroes!

For more information about the Achilles Freedom Team and to learn how you can volunteer, please go to: http://www.achillesinternational.org/programs/freedom-team/overview

Also check out our YouTube and Flickr pages for more photos and videos of the delivery and this awesome group!

To learn more about how General Motors supports the Military, Cell Phones For Soldiers: http://www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com/ and GM Military Discounts: https://www.gmmilitarydiscount.com/ip-vpp/

2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD and Achilles Team Hand Cycles

Alfredo De Los Santos and Evan Marcy at the Silverado Delivery

The Achilles Freedom Team and General Motors with their new Silverado

2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD with Achillles Freedom Team

Achilles Freedom Team Veterans loading hand cycles into their new Silverado

Alfredo De Los Santos and Evan Marcy in front of the Silverado HD

Dick Traum in the new 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD

Alfredo De Los Santos on his new hand cycle

Evan Marcy and Alfredo De Los Santos riding their hand cycles