Piedmont Natural Gas forms special partnership with The Assault on Mt. Mitchell

The Freewheelers Cycling Association of Spartanburg is pleased to announce the 2017 Assaults on Mt. Mitchell and Marion presented by Greenville Health System will be welcoming Piedmont Natural Gas as the 2017 Rest Stop Sponsor. As Rest Stop Sponsor, Piedmont Natural Gas will be supporting the ten rest stops located along the 102.7 mile course used by more than 900 cyclists.

Hank McCullough, senior government relations manager for Piedmont Natural Gas, has personally climbed the 10,000 vertical feet over the 102.7 mile course to finish The Assault on Mt. Mitchell ride six times.

“I would classify this ride as one of the most challenging sports endeavors in the Southeast,” McCullough said. “While some attempt to beat a time goal or set a personal record at the finish, for many it is an inspirational journey out of a sedentary lifestyle to active, healthy living through a process of training, nutrition, discipline and teamwork.  Piedmont Natural Gas is proud to support this outstanding event and can’t wait to see these participants achieve a lifetime accomplishment.”

The 42nd Annual cycling event is set for Monday, May 15, 2017. This one-day century ride, known as the Southeast’s Premier Cycling Experience, attracts nearly 900 cyclists from around the world each year. The only cycling event allowed to reach the peak of Mt. Mitchell – the highest mountaintop in the Southeastern United States – the ride is also known as “the Beast of the East.”

 “The Assault on Mt. Mitchell brings cyclists from around the world to Spartanburg and promotes the city as a great place to work, play and stay active,” McCullough continued. “Piedmont Natural Gas has delivered safe, reliable and low-cost natural gas service in this community for more than 60 years. We are excited and honored to support The Assaults in 2017 as a way of supporting this community and promoting economic development and community vibrancy, both of which are vitally important to this region.”

A portion of the proceeds from the 2017 Assaults presented by the Greenville Health System will support HUB Cycle, a program of Partners for Active Living. This program increases the availability of and access to bicycles for those using bicycles as a primary means of transportation in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Additional organizations supported by the ride include FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Palmetto Cycling Coalition, the Spartanburg Humane Society and the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind.

To register, riders may visit The Assaults website, www.theassaults.com. Registration closes Saturday, May 13, at noon.

About The Assaults

A bucket list ride for serious cyclists, The Assaults is one of the most intense, premier cycling experiences in the Southeast, and draws a full field of nearly 900 cyclists from across the world each spring to ride from Spartanburg, S.C. to either Marion, N.C. (74.2 miles) or the top of Mt. Mitchell (102.7 miles). To learn more, register, sponsor or volunteer, visit www.theassaults.com or email [email protected].

About The Freewheelers

The organization behind The Assaults, The Freewheelers Cycling Association, is a Spartanburg, South Carolina based, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit community service organization founded in 1973. The Freewheelers’ mission is to provide education and promotion of bicycle safety and a forum for amateur sports competition and touring. To learn more about The Freewheelers, visit their website at www.freewheelers.info.