Pond Lehocky Associate Nick Liermann’s Charity, Team Foster, Hosting 24-Hour Spin Relay to Support Disabled Veterans in Need of Service Dogs

Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano is proud to be a Presenting Sponsor of Team Foster’s “Ruff Ride,” an upcoming 24-hour spin relay in Philadelphia to raise money for pairing disabled veterans with service dogs in the Tri-State area. The event will be held from 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 14^th to 12:30 p.m. Friday, June 15^th in the courtyard between the One and Two Commerce Square buildings in center city Philadelphia, on Market Street between 20^th and 21^st streets.

The Ruff Ride challenges businesses, organizations and teams to keep their assigned bike spinning for 24 consecutive hours. Aided by music, food and some canine comradery courtesy of the Team Foster Heroes litter, teams must work together to pull off this epic achievement. Live stats will be broadcasted on the Commerce Square jumbotron as each team battles to bring home the Ruff Ride trophy. Individual and team prizes will be awarded for most watts generated, most funds raised, and Ruff Ride MVP.

Team Foster is an all-volunteer non-profit that was founded by veteran and Pond Lehocky Associate Nick Liermann to honor Captain Erick Foster, a friend of Liermann’s who was killed in action in 2007. To carry on Erick’s legacy, the charity raises money to partner service dogs with veterans suffering from combat-related disabilities such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Service dogs are a vital tool in rehabilitation for veterans. Approximately 22 American veterans a day commit suicide as they struggle with repercussions of combat, but a service dog can bring a serviceman back from the brink. Service dogs are not funded by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), insurance companies, or the federal government, and just one service dog can cost upwards of $25,000 to obtain, care for and specially train. This is why Liermann uses the money raised by his charity to provide service dogs to veterans in need.

To learn more about Ruff Ride and how you can participate in or sponsor the event, click here. To donate to Team Foster, click here.