American Portfolios Supports World T.E.A.M. Sports by Sponsoring and Participating in 2016's Face of America Bike Ride

HOLBROOK, NY--(Marketwired - July 14, 2016) - American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (APFS), a privately-held, independent broker/dealer that provides services and support to financial advisors throughout the country, continues in 2016 its long-standing support of World T.E.A.M. Sports (WTS), starting with the 2016 Face of America (FOA) bike ride, which took place April 22-24, 2016.

Since 2007, APFS has been a proud participant and sponsor for WTS, an organization that for the last 23 years has remained true to its goal to "change lives through sports." Contributing its time and resources year after year to well more than two dozen events that challenge disabled men, women and children to accomplish feats they never thought possible, APFS has raised more than $500,000 for the organization since its involvement, earning the distinction of being among the top fundraisers for WTS. Team American Portfolios raised a total of $124,041 in charitable donations for the 2016 FOA bike ride alone, and three of the firm's affiliated financial advisors who participated in the event were ranked in the Top 10 Overall Fundraisers: James McCauley ($7,715), George Elkin ($6,480) and Anthony Trimarchi ($6,215).

APFS is a firm believer in being a true corporate citizen through acts of social responsibility -- one of six tenets outlined in its strategic five-year plan for growth. "Social responsibility involves two components," says APFS CEO and WTS Vice Chairman Lon T. Dolber. "The first is our internal community, made up of our affiliated colleagues and employees. The second is our external community, which is where we work and live. It is important to do well in both communities. Our collective work leaves a small, but noticeable, footprint on our local, national and global communities -- all while building a stable company."

2016 marks APFS' ninth FOA bike ride, which covers more than 100 miles from Washington, D.C., to the battlefields of Gettysburg, Pa., over the course of two days. This year's ride included more than 550 cyclists, 121 of which are active duty military personnel and U.S. veterans, many of whom were injured or became disabled during military service. Among the riders were 56 APFS staff members, affiliated financial advisors, and business partners and/or friends of the firm. "It's always great spending time with our Team American Portfolios riders and volunteers," said David Rey, APFS financial advisor and team captain. "As with all previous rides, we meet new people and see friendships develop. Each year, we become stronger within our team and on the ride itself."

Forging new relationships and strengthening existing friendships is a consistent theme that naturally evolves from participation in WTS events. "I've created many friendships throughout the years and over the course of several different events; I am forever thankful for having the opportunity to ride and kayak with fellow able-bodied, and physically- and developmentally-challenged athletes from the U.S., Canada and Denmark," said APFS COO Dean Bruno, who completed his sixth FOA this year. "Greg Puttick, an APFS affiliated investment professional, and I assisted FOA participant George Taborsky, a quadriplegic and experienced hand cyclist, up many a steep hill during this last two-day event. Very quickly, acts like these put life in perspective when you consider what George is able to accomplish with a little help from his friends."

2016 will see APFS' participation in two additional WTS events: Coastal Team Challenge on Aug. 2-3, a two-day, 22-nautical-mile, non-competitive kayak journey along the coast of Long Island, N.Y., with participating athletes from Independent Group Home Living; and Adventure Team Challenge at Frost Valley, N.Y., from Sept. 9-10, which engages medically-fragile, developmentally-disabled teens and young adults from the Center for Discovery during a weekend of competitive team sporting events.

About American Portfolios

Headquartered in Holbrook, N.Y., APFS is a full-service, independent broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a complete range of financial services, including personal financial and retirement planning, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Both entities, along with technology division American Outsources, LLC (AO,) collectively reside under the legal entity American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. (APH). Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing firm relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon firm, the securities of which are held on a fully disclosed basis. The company currently serves 791 independent investment professionals located in 356 branch locations throughout the nation. It was named Broker-Dealer of the Year* (Division III) by Investment Advisor magazine in 2015, as well as the No. 1 Best Small/Mid-Size Company to Work for in the state of New York for 2016 by the New York State Society for Human Resources Management (NYS-SHRM) and the Best Companies Group (BCG).

*Based on a poll of registered representatives conducted by Investment Advisor magazine. Broker/dealers rated highest by their representatives are awarded "Broker/Dealer (B/D) of the Year."

About World T.E.A.M. Sports

World T.E.A.M. Sports (WTS) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization chartered in North Carolina and headquartered in Holbrook, N.Y. Since 1987, WTS has organized athletic events for disabled and able-bodied citizens -- mountain climbing, white water rafting, bicycling and more. Their mission is to change life through sports. WTS uses athletics to challenge people to accomplish goals they once deemed impossible. Through every WTS event, participants with disabilities build their self-confidence and enhance their physical fitness. During athletic challenges, disabled and able-bodied participants learn to work together as a team to overcome physical, emotional and technical challenges. Annual WTS events include: Adventure Team Challenge, Coastal Team Challenge, CanAm Veterans' Challenge, Face of America and Sea to Shining Sea.

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