The Ironman Foundation Community Fund will give US$50,000 in grant funding to non-profit groups in the Tempe, Arizona, community in support of the 2012 Ironman Arizona event. The Ironman Foundation’s contribution will provide support to local non-profit needs and initiatives within the community.
The Ironman Foundation will also donate US$10,000 to the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community Children’s Fund to assist in youth service programs, as well as donate bicycles to the Native American community to be used for the Kid’s Triathlon, held the weekend prior to the Ironman race.
In addition to allocating funds back into the Arizona community, The Ironman Foundation provides athletes with the platform to fundraise for a non-profit beneficiary of their choice as they train for their Ironman event.
More than 40 athletes have signed up to participate in The Ironman Foundation’s ‘Your Journey, Your Cause’ program as part of the 18 November race. These athletes have been touched by something greater than themselves and are fundraising to make their race experience more than just crossing the finish line – they are racing for a cause. Collectively they have raised over US$55,000 for their respective causes.
The Ironman Foundation’s featured athlete, Thad Beaty, guitarist for Sugarland, the Grammy award winning country band, is participating through the ‘Your Journey, Your Cause’ initiative. He is not only racing in honour of a friend who passed away from cancer but also to fundraise for MusiCares, the non-profit arm of the Grammy Foundation that provides a safety net of critical assistance for people in the music industry during times of need.
Together with The Ironman Foundation, and by engaging fellow Ironman participants, Beaty joins other athletes is creating awareness for a cause.
www.ironmanfoundation.org
www.ironman.com
