NEWARK, N.J. - Tuesday, April 15th 2014 [ME NewsWire]

(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Heroes Project and Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE:PRU) have partnered to support USMC Staff Sergeant Charlie Linville (retired), a veteran who is disabled, as he climbs to the peak of Mt. Everest, the world’s highest mountain. His journey begins this week.

The trek – “Operation Everest: 2014” – is the latest undertaking from The Heroes Project, a nonprofit organization that takes military service members, who have been severely wounded or suffer disabilities, on transformational climbs to the world’s seven highest summits. As a “Summit Sponsor,” Prudential has donated $100,000 for the cost of Linville’s training and equipment.

On January 20, 2011, while conducting an IED sweep in Afghanistan, Linville was hit by an explosive device. He suffered head trauma and devastating injuries to his right foot and hand. In 2013, despite multiple attempts at rehabilitation, his right leg was amputated below the knee.

The Heroes Project was created by Tim Medvetz, who used mountain climbing as a way to heal after a motorcycle accident in 2001 that nearly claimed his life. Since then, Medvetz has taken wounded veterans to six of the world’s seven highest summits.

“By scaling the world’s highest mountains, our heroes rediscover their strength, pride and true potential. When we approached Prudential about partnering, they immediately understood our vision and found a way to support SSgt. Linville’s climb financially, while emotionally investing in our mission,” said Medvetz.

“Staff Sergeant Charlie Linville and Tim Medvetz are extraordinary men in every sense of the word, and Prudential is proud to support them. Their ascent to the peak of Mt. Everest is a journey of determination and courage. It underscores to veterans, individuals with disabilities and anyone who has ever faced an obstacle in life that challenges can be surmounted. They do not define us,” said Cathy Christian, a former Air Force captain who is now a vice president in Financial Management for Prudential, and president of VETNET, a Prudential business resource group for veterans and veteran supporters.

Prudential will chronicle Linville’s ascent to the summit and back on Prudential’s Bring Your Challenges Facebook page. Prudential's goal is to receive at least 29,029 clicks for Linville on their Facebook page to match or exceed the height of Mt. Everest.

About USMC SSgt. Charlie Linville

Thomas Charles Linville was born in Boise, Idaho on August 22, 1985. He married his high school sweetheart, Mandi, in 2006 and has two daughters. Eager to join the military, he enlisted in the Marine Corps on January 22, 2006. He was deployed to Iraq from September 2007 to April 2008, and to Afghanistan in October 2010. While conducting a sweep of the surrounding area, Linville was struck by a tertiary device. The explosion fractured his right foot and right middle finger. His middle finger was amputated and after undergoing multiple surgeries, he lost his leg to a below-the-knee amputation in 2013. Despite his injuries, he will climb to the peak of Mt. Everest in the spring of 2014.

About The Heroes Project

Created in 2009 by Tim Medvetz, The Heroes Project is a nonprofit organization that leads mountaineering expeditions with gravely wounded veterans, enabling them to rediscover their strength and pride by scaling the world’s most challenging summits. Medvetz used mountain climbing as a way to heal after a motorcycle accident in 2001 that nearly claimed his life. He has successfully taken wounded veterans to six of the world’s seven biggest summits. For more information on The Heroes Project, visit www.theheroesproject.org.

About Prudential

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader with more than $1.1 trillion of assets under management as of December 31, 2013, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential’s diverse and talented employees are committed to helping individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth through a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds and investment management. In the U.S., Prudential’s iconic Rock symbol has stood for strength, stability, expertise and innovation for more than a century. For more information, visit www.news.prudential.com.

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Contacts

The Heroes Project
JJ Hendershot, 323-680-1007
www.theheroesproject.org

Stan Rosenfield & Associates
Zach Rosenfield, 310-407-3442
zach@sra-pr.com

Prudential Financial, Inc.
Valerie Tutak, 973-802-2517
valerie.tutak@prudential.com

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