Team RWB’s Historic Flag Relay Reaches HOLT CAT

Team Red, White & Blue joined HOLT CAT as the Old Glory Ultra Relay passed through Little Elm

In time for Military Appreciation Month, on May 9, twelve runners representing Team Red, White & Blue (Team RWB)—America’s leading health and wellness community for veterans—joined HOLT CAT, the nation’s largest Caterpillar dealer, as the Old Glory Ultra Relay passed through Little Elm, marking nearly 1,300 miles of the cross-country route and nearing the halfway point of the relay.

The 3,000-mile relay aimed to set a world record by carrying a single American flag nonstop from San Diego to Washington, D.C., with runners averaging 7–8-minute miles in rotating teams of four. It was also a $1 million fundraiser supporting Team RWB’s mission to improve veterans’ health and wellness. The organization currently serves over 250,000 veterans through in-person and virtual programming in 150+ chapters nationwide.

The event included remarks from Team RWB leadership, Old Glory Ultra runners, and HOLT CAT spokespeople, alongside veteran employees and guests—all gathered in honor of Military Appreciation Month. A number of HOLT employees and veterans attended the event, including Yori Escalante, Senior Director Transport and Fleet–HOLT Group San Antonio; Tracy Brockette, Parts Manager-HOLT CAT Little Elm; Lawrence Prince, Field Service Manager-HOLT CAT Little Elm; Richard Frederick, Service Manager-HOLT CAT Little Elm; and Crystal Chavez, Workforce Development Manager-HOLT Group San Antonio.

Yori Escalante, Senior Director Transport and Fleet–HOLT Group San Antonio, noted, “Supporting Team RWB’s relay was powerful not just because of what it stood for, but because it reflected exactly why we’re starting the HOLT Military Alliance Group—to recognize, support, and unite the veterans and military families who are such a vital part of our workforce. Seeing our employees connect with this event and each other reminded me that we’re building something meaningful, both inside and outside the company.”

The flag relay kicked off on the deck of the USS Midway, a retired aircraft carrier in San Diego. Along the route, runners stopped at several Caterpillar dealerships including Empire, Wagner, Riggs, Carter, Thompson, and HOLT’s Little Elm location, where HOLT hosted a flag ceremony on May 9. Though the runners passed Little Elm the following day, the team held a commemorative event and presented a signed guidon (unit flag) to HOLT, now displayed in Little Elm.

HOLT’s sponsorship helped support the logistics of the cross-country relay, including live tracking, wellness monitoring, and travel accommodations for the veteran running teams. The run concluded on May 19 at the future site of the Global War on Terrorism Memorial in Washington, D.C.

This inspiring effort also reunited two former colleagues: J.J. Pinter, now Executive Director at Team RWB, who previously served as Service Manager at HOLT CAT, and Lawrence Prince, Field Service Manager–HOLT CAT Little Elm. The two veterans worked together earlier in their careers at HOLT, and the meeting was a memorable highlight of the day.