COLUMBUS, Ohio, Oct. 28, 2016 – Peter A. Cline, founder and executive director of VETMotorsports, a life-changing charity for veterans injured on the battlefield, was honored with The Ohio State University Alumni Association’s 2016 Robert M. Duncan Alumni Citizenship Award this month.
The Duncan Award is presented to alumni who have distinguished themselves in service to humanity and who have best exemplified the university’s motto, “Education for Citizenship,” by having performed significant voluntary service to their community beyond the call of business or professional duty.
Cline earned a BA in English from Ohio State in 1991. He was one of 12 honorees recognized at the annual alumni awards gala on Friday, Oct. 7, at the Ohio Union on Ohio State’s Columbus campus.
VETMotorsports, the non-profit Cline founded, is a non-clinical outreach program that honors and empowers injured veterans through active participation in motorsports. The organization embeds qualifying warfighters with professional race teams or puts them behind the wheel to race in amateur events. By placing these veterans in hands-on, high-stress, team environments that mimic active duty, the organization gives them direction, empowerment and challenges that help them focus on ability and moving forward rather than disability and the past.
The four-year-old organization has already helped more than 150 injured warfighters participate in motorcycle and auto racing events across the United States.
“As a proud OSU alumnus and someone who understands the university’s mission, I couldn’t be more honored or humbled to have been chosen to receive the Duncan Award,” said Cline. “I think our program is a great example of citizenship in action, and that couldn’t be more vital when you consider we’re currently losing 22 veterans a day to suicide. Hopefully this recognition will help us shine a little more light on that fact and inspire more of our great alumni to join us in honoring, engaging and empowering these deserving Americans.”
For more information on Cline and other Ohio State Alumni Award honorees, visit www.go.osu.edu/alumniawards. To learn more about VETMotorsports, participate in the program, or make a donation, visit VETMotorsports.org.
About The Ohio State University
Founded in 1870, The Ohio State University is a world-class public research university and the leading comprehensive teaching and research institution in the state of Ohio. With more than 65,000 students (including 58,000 in Columbus), the Wexner Medical Center, 15 colleges, 80 centers and 175+ majors, the university offers its students tremendous breadth and depth of opportunity in the liberal arts, the sciences and the professions.