HD Supply Title Sponsor of 2016 Shepherd’s Men Run to Help Raise Awareness and $1 Million for TBI and PTSD Research and Treatment

ATLANTA, March 01, 2016 -- HD Supply (NASDAQ:HDS) is proud to announce its second consecutive year as a title sponsor of the “Shepherd’s Men” run. The Shepherd’s Men is a 15-member team of servicemen, one civilian and, as an honorary member, HD Supply’s Chairman and CEO Joe DeAngelo, who will run 13.7 miles a day for nine days to raise awareness and this year’s goal of $1 million for the Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative. The SHARE Military Initiative is a comprehensive rehabilitation program that focuses on assessment and treatment for service men and women who have sustained a mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

“Our service men and women fought for us. It’s our turn to fight for them,” said Joe DeAngelo, chairman of the board, president and CEO, HD Supply. “We are honored to support the Shepherd’s Men’s rigorous efforts to help all of our warriors come back home all of the way.”

To raise awareness and funds for the program, each of the Shepherd’s Men will run the equivalent of a half-marathon (13.7 miles) for nine consecutive days while wearing 22-pound flak vests and armor plates. DeAngelo will match the team mile-for-mile remotely while also wearing the 22-pound flak vest. The vests simulate the gear worn by U.S. military troops and symbolize the difficulties many experience after returning from combat. 

The run starts on March 26 in Boston and ends on April 3 at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. The Shepherd’s Men itinerary is:

• Boston, Massachusetts – March 26
• Newport, Rhode Island – March 27
• Manhattan, New York – March 28
• Gettysburg, Pennsylvania – March 29
• Lynchburg, Virginia – March 30
• Knoxville, Tennessee – March 31
• Nashville, Tennessee – April 1
• Chattanooga, Tennessee – April 2
• Atlanta, Georgia – April 3

“We will carry 22 extra pounds in the vests to bring attention to the 22 deaths by suicide of U.S. veterans every day,” said Travis Ellis, civilian organizer of the run. “Through this run, we are sharing the burden our veterans carry every day as they try to rebuild their lives.”

The Shepherd’s Men goal is to raise $1 million, of which, 100 percent of the proceeds will be used for the SHARE Military Initiative. Please visit shepherdsmen.com for more information and to make donations.

About Shepherd’s Men
For the third year, The Shepherd’s Men will run to raise awareness about the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center and to raise funds to help support it. Private funding is needed to make SHARE’s life-saving program available to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who suffer from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress. The 2016 goal is $1 million, to facilitate program expansion, and donations can be made through the Shepherdsmen.com website. The runners are active or medically retired servicemen and one civilian who are committed to helping those who have sacrificed so much for this country and all who enjoy the freedoms they volunteered to protect. #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 injury or brain injury. Founded in 1975, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 10 rehabilitation hospitals in the nation and is a 152-bed facility. Last year, Shepherd Center had 965 admissions to its inpatient programs and 571 to its day patient programs. In addition, Shepherd Center sees more than 6,600 people annually on an outpatient basis. 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, infrastructure and power and specialty construction sectors. Through approximately 550 locations across 48 states and seven Canadian provinces, the company's approximately 15,000 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]