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BP highlights commitment to US military veterans with sponsorship of 2014 Warrior Games

Release date:
25 September 2014
Announcement marks fourth consecutive year BP has sponsored the event, which will run Sept. 28-Oct. 4 in Colorado Springs

 

HOUSTON – BP announced today that it will sponsor the 2014 Warrior Games, the premier sporting event for wounded, ill or injured U.S. military veterans and active-duty service members.

 

This will be BP’s fourth consecutive year as an associate sponsor of the Games, highlighting the company’s ongoing commitment to former and active U.S. service men and women.

 

“We are proud to show our commitment to America and to our men and women in uniform by again supporting the Warrior Games,” said John Mingé, chairman and president of BP America. “We look forward to cheering on these passionate and remarkable athletes, who are the embodiment of BP’s values of excellence, courage and teamwork.”

 

The Games, which run from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4 at four venues around Colorado Springs, will feature more than 200 wounded, ill or injured veterans and active-duty service members competing in seven Paralympic events. Presented by Deloitte and supported by the Department of Defense, the Games will include athletes representing the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy.

 

During the six-day event, BP again will serve as the official sponsor of the wheelchair basketball tournament, which begins Sept. 29 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC). BP also will host a reception for its nonprofit partners on Sept. 30 in which the company will make a $10,000 donation to the Fisher House Foundation, which provides lodging for military and veterans’ families at no cost while a loved one receives treatment. The donation is part of BP’s Wellness Warrior Challenge — a wellness initiative for BP employees aligned with the Warrior Games.

 

On Oct. 3, BP will extend its support of the Warrior Games by, for the first time, hosting the Paralympic Experience with the Paralympic Sport Club of Colorado Springs. The Experience will include demonstrations and a hands-on clinic with three different Paralympic sports: cycling, wheelchair basketball and boccia ball.

 

More than 40 participants are expected to attend from local rehabilitation hospitals for children and young adults. Participants also will attend the BP-sponsored gold medal wheelchair basketball game that evening.

 

The opening ceremony for the Warrior Games is set for Sunday at 2:15 p.m. MDT inside the USOTC’s Sports Center 1 building.

 

For more information, visit www.bp.com/warriorgames.

 

About BP

 

Over the past five years, BP has invested nearly $50 billion in the U.S. – more than any other energy company. BP is a leading producer of oil and gas and provides enough energy annually to light the entire country for a year. Employing approximately 20,000 people in all 50 states, BP supports more than 260,000 jobs total through all of its business activities. For more information, go to www.bp.com/us.

Further information

 

Contacts

 

BP press office, Houston: +1 281 366 4463, uspress@bp.com

Note to Editors

 

  • Last year, the USOC recognized BP’s commitment to U.S. Paralympics with its Paralympic Amazing Impact Award, an honor given annually to organizations that raise awareness and support for the US Paralympic movement.
  • Since 2011, BP-branded retailers in 13 states have donated more than $700,000 to their local Paralympic Sport Clubs.
  • U.S. Veterans Magazine has named BP among the 2014 “Best of the Best” top veteran-friendly companies.
  • In July, BP renewed its statement of support with the Employer Support for the Guard and Reserve (ESGR). ESGR, an office of the U.S. Department of Defense, promotes cooperation and understanding between Reserve component service members and their civilian employers.
  • In July, the Texas Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve conferred their “Above and Beyond Award” upon BP America for the company’s exceptional support of BP employees still serving in the National Guard and Reserves.
  • In November 2013, BP contributed $1 million to the USOC’s new Ted Stevens Sports Service Center in Colorado Springs and to existing U.S. Paralympic Programs.