WASHINGTON — It was somewhat chilly for a bike ride on Saturday, but it didn’t stop a few NFL players from riding bicycles to raise money for wounded warriors.
Former Washington Redskins linebacker Lorenzo Alexander and current ‘Skins defensive end Kedric Golston tag teamed for the fourth annual “Ride to Provide” charity bike ride.
The money raised goes to wounded warrior programs “Ride 2 Recovery” and “Dare2Tri Para-triathlon Club.”
Riders gathered at the Reston Town Center for the 2014 charity event, which takes cyclists along the scenic Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park Trail. The riders were split into different groups depending on how far they were riding, and whether they were biking 10, 20, 35 or 53 miles.
“Me, my wife and kids are firm believers [in] serving, giving back,” Alexander says.
Alexander launched the “Ride to Provide” event after a visit to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The military members were so hopeful despite their life-changing injuries.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to support somebody that defends you each and every day, lay their life down for you,” Alexander says, “but often times I get so much more out of it then I think I’m giving them. They are so inspirational.”
“It’s all about community,” Golston says. “They provide us freedoms that we’ll never understand because we’ve always had them. So the ultimate sacrifices that they make, not only that they make but their families make, anything you can do to help them try and make their lives better after something like that happens, I’m all for it.”
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