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BROOKFIELD, Ill. - The Chicago Zoological Society welcomed the Wounded Warrior Project to Brookfield Zoo Wednesday.
The zoo hosted 45 injured veterans for this year's Soldier Ride.
An American flag serenaded them, draped across two ladder trucks from Riverside and Brookfield fire departments.
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And — community members were there to cheer them on.
Wednesday's 19.1-mile ride through the zoo is the first of the three-day cycling event with riders traveling more than 52 miles through the Chicagoland area.
The goal of the Soldier Ride is to allow veterans to push themselves both physically and mentally and to promote awareness about the greater impact of the wounds of war.