Westcon Group, IJS Global and Virgin Atlantic Cargo Make the Trek for Charity

- Cyclists Begin Race to Conquer 1,200 km Journey from Paris to Barcelona

TARRYTOWN, New York, May 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Westcon Group, a value-added distributor of category-leading unified communications, network infrastructure, data center, and security solutions with a global network of specialty resellers, today joined forces with IJS Global and Virgin Atlantic Cargo to make a major bicycle trek for charity.  Kicking off yesterday, the team is set to conquer 1,200 km from Paris to Barcelona in support of Help for Heroes and Kidney Health Australia.

Team Ride2Give consists of non-professional cyclists from the United Kingdom and Australia training each year for several charity riding events.  In 2010, the team partnered with colleagues from around the world to undertake the journey from Sydney to Melbourne across the Australian mountain range.  Today, the group is set to ride 1,200 km over a nine-day period.

"When I said 'yes' to participating in my first ride, I figured it would be a once in a lifetime event -- never expecting to take on anything like this ever again," said Gary Roche, Chief Executive Officer, IJS Global.  "But that experience was truly life changing.  So, when the opportunity came up to do something similar for such a great cause -- with great friends -- I had to accept."

This year, members are raising money for Help for Heroes (H4H) and Kidney Health Australia.  H4H is an independent British charity aiding armed forces veterans injured during the course of duty.  Kidney Health Australia focuses on improving kidney health outcomes, leading to substantial improvements in quality of life for people with kidney and urinary tract diseases, their families and careers. 

"The one thing that brings us together is a love for cycling.  Ride2Give helps put this passion to good use and lend a hand to those who really need it," said Alyson Kent, Virgin Atlantic Cargo.  "While we're all amateur riders, the combination of talent across Virgin Atlantic Cargo, IJS and Westcon is truly amazing.  I am honored to be part of this team."

Beginning at the center of France, riders are traveling through the French regions of lle-deFrance, Centre, Auvergne and Midi-Pyrenees before crossing into Spain via the Aragon and Catalonia regions.  The journey is challenging due to its mountainous terrain and trip duration -- requiring members to cover up to 160 km per day for nine days without a rest day.

"The Ride2Give team is a fantastic, caring group of individuals -- all of whom just happen to have a passion for cycling," said Donna Bain, European Human Resources Director, Westcon Group.  "After spending a few years on the sidelines, I decided to jump in and use my love of riding to do something good.  I'm proud to be working alongside my friends at IJS Global and Virgin Atlantic Cargo to make a difference."

For more information on Ride2Give, get updates on riders' progress, and view photos of this year's event - please visit www.twitter.com/WestconPR or www.ride2give.com.  To make a donation to either of the charities, follow the link to http://www.bmycharity.com/p2b/

For more information on Westcon, please visit our Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/comstorworldwide or www.facebook.com/westcongroup.  For the most up-to-date discussions on Westcon, please login to LinkedIn, copy, and paste this link to join the Westcon fan page at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4148912&trk=hb_side_g.

About IJS Global
IJS Global offers a wide range of logistics services and operates from 179 offices in 80 countries.  All IJS locations operate on iGain, which offers customers a completely transparent supply chain.  With its multi-modal approach and constant drive for new logistics solutions, IJS Global offers its customers a full range of intelligent and flexible solutions with particular focus in the sectors of:  pharmaceuticals, medical technology, high technology, relief operations, and aerospace/defense/energy.  For more information, please visit www.ijsglobal.com.

About Virgin Atlantic Airways 
Virgin Atlantic Airways, one of the world's leading long-haul airlines, was founded in 1984, and currently has 38 aircraft in its fleet. Virgin Atlantic offers service from 10 U.S. cities to London and onto a range of long-haul destinations worldwide. From its main base in London Heathrow and Gatwick, Virgin Atlantic services destinations as far apart as Las Vegas, Tokyo, Delhi, Boston and Shanghai. Sir Richard Branson is the President of Virgin Atlantic; Steve Ridgway is the Chief Executive. Even with Virgin Atlantic's continued growth, the service still remains customer driven with an emphasis on value for money, quality, fun and innovation; ensuring flying Virgin Atlantic is always an event.

About Westcon Group
Westcon Group, Inc. is a value added distributor of category-leading unified communications, network infrastructure, data center, and security solutions with a global network of specialty resellers.  Westcon's teams create unique programs and provide exceptional support to accelerate the business of its global partners.  Strong relationships at every level of the Westcon Group organization enable partners to receive support tailored to their needs.  From global logistics and flexible customized financing solutions to pre-sales, technical and engineering assistance, the company works with partners to respond with agility and speed to changing market conditions so they can achieve the fastest time to revenue.  Westcon Group's portfolio of market-leading vendors includes:  Cisco, Avaya, Brocade, Fujitsu, Polycom, Check Point, and Blue Coat.  For more information, please visit www.westcongroup.com, www.comstor.com, or www.comstor.co.uk.

Media Contact:                                      
Craig Librett
Director of Public Relations
Westcon Group
+1-914-357-1747
craig.librett@westcon.com