Local veterans organization: ‘We are not affiliated with Wounded Warrior’

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — The Warrior Ride is an organization out of Oak Island that takes combat injured service members out on adaptive cycling events all along the east coast. The group started in 2005.

According to Vietnam veteran and founder Bob Racine, the organization puts on about 10 biking events a year from Virginia to Florida. He said when the rides started they had about nine service members involved and today they have about 50 members.

Racine said they have recently had folks start to pull their donations from the organization because they are confusing them with the Wounded Warrior Project, which recently came under fire for improper funding of donations by leaders.

Racine said the groups are not affiliated with each other at all. In fact, he said the Wounded Warrior Project has tried to sue The Warrior Ride twice, once for their logo, which was subsequently changed, and then to change the name of the ride. Racine said they had already trademarked the name and countered that the Wounded Warrior Project could purchase the name for $6 million.

Racine said The Warrior Ride is all about giving back to any combat veteran who would like to participate. He adds there is no truth to rumors that The Warrior Ride has cashed checks addressed to the Wounded Warrior Project that have come into their Oak Island offices by mistake.

They have a ride scheduled for December in Washington DC which has about 250 riders signed up according to Racine.