Quad Amputee Veteran Travis Mills Comes to Run in his Own Race

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For Immediate Release: Friday, May 24

Contact: Lynn Harvey (207)-592-0647

 AUGUSTA - On Memorial Day, Monday May 27, Travis Mills will visit Cony High School in Augusta to run in his 2^nd Annual 5K Miles for Mills race. Registration is from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. with First Lady Ann LePage kicking off the race at 8 a.m., followed by comments from Travis.

Race details: $20 pre-registration at runreg.com or $25 day of the race. For more information on the race contact ashley.harriman@mma.edu

On April 10, 2012, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne was on patrol during his third tour of duty in Afghanistan when he fell victim to an IED explosion. Four days later, on his 25th birthday, he awoke in a hospital to discover the blast had taken portions of both legs and both arms. He is only the fifth quadruple amputee from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive his injuries.

Six weeks after the tragedy, Travis’s family and friends in Augusta put together a 5K run, raising funds to aid in his recovery. This year, thanks to Travis’s amazing strength, courage, an incredible will to live, along with the love of his wife Kelsey and one-year-old daughter, Chloe, Travis is not only well on the road to recovery, but he will be running in his own event on his new prosthetics!

Travis has a goal of one day having a fully accessible camp in Maine as a recreation center for disabled veterans and their families to unite with the land, the water, nature and each other. Here they will be enriched and inspired by the activities that revitalize the courage and the confidence to keep moving forward. All proceeds from the Miles for Mills race are going to help realize this dream.

First Lady Ann LePage, humbled and inspired by this soldier’s story, champions the cause by accepting the role as First Lady of Camp Kennebec. She has vowed to assist in making Travis’s dream a reality: the new fully accessible home of the Travis Mills Project and The National Veterans Recreation Center, right here in Kennebec County at the premier summer camp established in 1907 on the pristine shores of Salmon Lake in Belgrade, Maine.

“I am honored to be asked to participate in this project,” said First Lady Ann LePage. “Travis is a real example of an American Hero, and his work supporting our men and women in uniformed should be applauded. As Americans, we have a responsibility to support our service members and their families, and as Mainers, we do an exceptional job.”

Bread of Life Ministries (BOLM) is a non-profit organization in Augusta committed to serving veterans in need through a continuum of services. BOLM and its Executive Director, Dean Lachance, have collaborated with Joel and Crista Lavenson of Camp Kennebec, the site of the nationally ranked number-one summer golf camp, tennis camp and family camp, to provide the home for Travis’s vision and the method to provide the camp experience to veterans at no cost to them.

To join the cause, call the office of Bread of Life Ministries at 207-626-3434 or visit http://www.veteransfamilycamp.com. You can help with the needs list, make a donation or Register as a volunteer to help renovate and be a part of the positive energy pouring out to provide for our country’s heroes.

A short trailer for the movie being made about Travis Mills’ story that will air fully this summer:  http://vimeo.com/63741772#at=0

 

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