ATLANTA, May 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HD Supply (NASDAQ:HDS) proudly announces its fourth consecutive year as the title sponsor of the Shepherd’s Men Run. The seven-day run is led by the Shepherd’s Men – a 20-member team of active-duty, medically retired and honorably discharged servicemen; civilian patriots; and HD Supply’s Chairman and CEO Joe DeAngelo as an honorary member – to raise awareness and this year’s goal of more than $1.2 million to support the Atlanta-based Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative.

Every day from May 22 through May 28, the Shepherd’s Men will run 13.7 miles (22 kilometers) while wearing 22-pound flak vests and armor plates to symbolize and honor the deaths of the 22 U.S. veterans who commit suicide every day. The vests simulate the gear worn by U.S. military troops and provide visible acknowledgement of the physical, mental and emotional burdens many veterans experience after returning home from combat. DeAngelo will match the team mile-for-mile remotely while wearing the 22-pound flak vest, and he will join them for the final leg of the run in Atlanta.

The Shepherd’s Men and their annual run raise funds and awareness for the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center in Atlanta. This comprehensive rehabilitation program focuses on assessment and treatment for military veterans who have sustained a mild-to-moderate Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result of post-9/11 conflicts.

“We are immensely proud to honor and remember our brave military veterans who have served and defended our home,” said DeAngelo. “As one HD Supply Family, we fully support the Shepherd’s Men and their steadfast commitment to helping our veterans feel at home once again. Their courage, selflessness and dedication to duty is an inspiration to us all.” On May 2, DeAngelo will present a sponsorship check of $50,000 to the SHARE Military Initiative at HD Supply’s new headquarters in Atlanta.

This year, ten members of Shepherd’s Men – including HD Supply associate and United States Marine Corps veteran Lawson Brown – will visit the following cities as part of their cross-country run:

• May 22 – Chicago, IL
• May 23 – Indianapolis, IN
• May 24 – Louisville, KY
• May 25 – Nashville, TN
• May 26 – Johnson City, TN
• May 27 – Athens, GA
• May 28 – Atlanta, GA, as they culminate their run at Shepherd Center

Anyone interested in showing his or her support by running, no matter the distance, alongside the Shepherd’s Men is encouraged to join their journey.

“We run to help our veterans return to good health and reclaim a purposeful life in their homes and communities,” said Shepherd’s Men co-founder and 2017 Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation Citizen Heroes Award recipient Travis Ellis. “We run to raise awareness of the silent injuries of war and so that treatment can be offered, at no cost, to any veteran in need. We run to honor and thank all those who have worked – and continue to work – tirelessly to defend our way of life with their service and sacrifice.”

The Shepherd’s Men goal for 2018 is to raise more than $1.2 million, enough to fully fund the SHARE Military Initiative’s annual operating budget. Since its inception in 2014, the team has raised more than $2.7 million for SHARE. Visit www.shepherdsmen.com for more information and to make donations.

About Shepherd’s Men
Shepherd’s Men is an organization comprised of dedicated patriots committed to creating advocacy and opportunity for our nation’s heroes who have been affected by the hidden injuries of war. They serve our noble warriors by means of outreach, empowerment and the funding of treatment. It is their belief that victory in combat is achieved on two fronts – on the field and in the mind. They will share the burden and lift up our war fighters in need.

For the fifth consecutive year, the Shepherd’s Men are proudly running to raise funds and awareness for the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center in Atlanta. This comprehensive rehabilitation program focuses on assessment and treatment for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who suffer from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorders. The 2018 runners are active, medically retired and honorably discharged servicemen and civilian patriots who are committed to helping those veterans who have sacrificed so much for this country and for everyone who enjoys the freedoms they volunteered to protect. For more information, please visit www.shepherdsmen.com. #SHARETheBurden22

About Shepherd Center
Shepherd Center, located in Atlanta, is a private, not-for-profit hospital specializing in medical treatment, research and rehabilitation for people with spinal cord or brain injury, multiple sclerosis, spine and chronic pain and other neuromuscular conditions. Founded in 1975, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation. This 152-bed facility treats more than 900 inpatients, 575 day-program patients and more than 7,100 outpatients each year. Patients travel from across the nation – and even the globe – to Shepherd Center for its innovative brand of neurorehabilitation. For more information, visit Shepherd Center online at www.shepherd.org.

About HD Supply

HD Supply (www.hdsupply.com) is one of the largest industrial distributors in North America. The company provides a broad range of products and value-add services to approximately 500,000 customers with leadership positions in maintenance, repair and operations, and specialty construction sectors. Through approximately 275 branches and 44 distribution centers, in the U.S. and Canada, the company's more than 11,000 associates provide localized, customer-driven services including jobsite delivery, will call or direct-ship options, diversified logistics and innovative solutions that contribute to its customers' success.

Media Contact:
Quiana Pinckney, APR
HD Supply Public Relations
770-852-9057
[email protected]