CHICAGO, November 5, 2013—Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization supporting U.S. veterans by connecting them through social and physical opportunities, is proud to announce a partnership with New York Road Runners (NYRR), the world’s premier community running organization and the producer of the TCS New York City Marathon. NYRR welcomes Team RWB into the local running community and will help support their mission of getting veterans active through weekly races and more. This partnership includes a new membership option and lower race fees throughout the year for military veterans, as well as opportunities to create a club team and mentor youth runners.

“We are so excited to work with NYRR in this program. With 220,000 military veterans in the NYC area, we are confident that this program will inspire many of them to join Team RWB and NYRR for events throughout the five boroughs for 2014 and beyond,” says Mike Erwin, founder and chairman of the board of Team RWB. “For the past decade, many Americans have asked how they can support the men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Together, our organizations are providing that opportunity—to connect with our nation's veterans on a personal level, over a run or at a race.”

Cliff Sperber, Vice President of Youth and Community Services at NYRR, says, “Our mission at NYRR is to inspire and help people through running.  We are thrilled to support Team Red, White & Blue, not only by welcoming veterans into our weekly races, but also by giving them opportunities to engage with the community and younger generations through our youth programs.”

Team Red, White & Blue kicked off the partnership by joining in on marathon festivities. A group of 20 veterans raced in Saturday’s NYRR Dash to the Finish Line 5K, and 15 members completed the 2013 ING New York City Marathon the following day. Sperber adds, “It was great to see Team Red, White & Blue cross the finish line with their team in Central Park and we look forward to seeing them at more races in the coming year!”

The official partnership will launch on Veterans Day, November 11, 2013 when all veterans will be able to visit nyrr.org and sign up for a special $25 membership rate that will also allow runners to get into races at lower member prices.  

About NYRR

New York Road Runners was founded in 1958 when a small group of passionate runners vowed to bring running to the people. Over the past 55 years, NYRR has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s mission is to empower everyone, of all ages and abilities—beginners and competitive athletes, the young and the elderly, adult professionals and underserved schoolchildren—to improve their health and well-being through the power of running and fitness.

NYRR’s races, community events, instruction and training resources, and youth programs give hundreds of thousands of people each year the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to start running and keep running for life. NYRR’s premier event, the famed TCS New York City Marathon, attracts the world’s top pro runners and committed amateurs alike while also raising millions of dollars annually for charity and driving economic impact for the City. But NYRR is equally committed to the runners of tomorrow, passionately providing youth fitness programs that educate and inspire more than 200,000 kids in underserved communities in New York City, all 50 states, and around the world.

NYRR is proud to be a part of the World Marathon Majors—an alliance with the Tokyo, Boston, Virgin Money London, BMW Berlin, and Bank of America Chicago marathons—to advance the sport, raise awareness and increase interest and involvement in participatory and professional marathon running globally. A signature element is the WMM series, which offers a $1 million prize purse to be split equally between the top male and the top female marathoner in the world.

Headquartered in New York City, NYRR implements a unique nonprofit model that teams contributed and earned income to make all its efforts possible. To learn more, please visit www.nyrr.org.

About Team Red, White & Blue

Team Red, White & Blue is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization with headquarters in Chicago, Illinois. Team Red, White & Blue’s goal is to transform the way America supports its veterans when they leave the military by bringing veterans, their families, and American citizens together through authentic social interaction and shared experiences in communities all over America. To learn more about Team Red, White & Blue and how you can help, visit www.teamrwb.org