Brookfield, Ill.—Today, June 22, the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, was proud to once again welcome and host the Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) Soldier Ride^®. This year, 40 injured veterans were welcomed as they rode under an American flag draped across two ladder trucks from Riverside and Brookfield fire departments prior to entering Brookfield Zoo’s south gate.

Once inside the park, Zoo staff and volunteers, guests, and campers lined the walkways as the veterans rode through the park on a route from the Zoo’s south gate to the north gate.

After the ride, the warriors were served lunch in the Zoo’s Pavilions, followed by a narrated tour of the park aboard Motor Safari trams. In addition, several of the Zoo’s animal ambassadors greeted the veterans.

The 19.1-mile ride to Brookfield Zoo was the first of a three-day, more than 52-mile cycling event throughout the Chicagoland area. Soldier Ride is a multi-day bicycling event where injured veterans are challenged to push themselves physically and mentally as they manage the visible and invisible wounds of war. Soldier Ride visits dozens of American cities to connect warriors to each other and their local communities.