Each year, more than 100,000 athletes vie for slots to the IRONMAN World Championship presented by GoPro at qualifying IRONMAN events worldwide, while only approximately 2,000 make it to the starting line on race day.
For the last 13 years IRONMAN, through the IRONMAN Foundation, has raised money for a variety of charities through the IRONMAN Foundation Annual Kona Auction, which provides athletes the opportunity to bid on one of four coveted slots to the IRONMAN World Championship, taking place on 10 October 2015 in Kailua-Kona Hawai`i.
Bidding for the Annual Kona Auction began on Sunday 12 April at 12pm PST. One entry will be auctioned per week for a period of four weeks. Interested bidders should go to ebay.com and search 2015 IRONMAN World Championship Slot.
Each slot begins with a minimum bid of US$10,000. 100% of the money from the final winning bids of the four slots support the efforts of the IRONMAN Foundation’s Community Fund Program. Since its inception, the IRONMAN Foundation has provided over US$28.5 million in grants and donations to many deserving global, national, regional and local non-profit organizations.
To date, almost US$2.5 million has been raised through the annual IRONMAN Foundation auction. Through the success of the auction, The IRONMAN Foundation has donated to organizations such as Team Blazeman, Hospice of Kona, C Different, Daniel Robert Sayre Memorial Foundation – with funds benefitting The Hawai`i Fire Department on Hawai`i Island, The Pediatric Cancer Foundation, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, Peoples Advocacy for Trails Hawai`i (PATH) and The County of Hawai`i Parks & Recreation Department.
In addition to receiving the opportunity to compete at the 2015 IRONMAN World Championship, IRONMAN Foundation auction winners will receive private athlete registration in Kona and four VIP packages, including race-day passes and invitations to race-week functions.
Funding for the auction does not have to be generated through one source, as fundraising efforts are acceptable; however, funds are due once the auction ends. Funds in excess of the retail cost of the slot may be tax-deductible in the United States. International bidders will need to locally verify tax deductibility (bidders should consult their own tax advisors to determine deductibility and whether any limitations apply).
All proceeds go to the IRONMAN Foundation, which in turn makes donations to the beneficiary organizations. The IRONMAN Foundation covers all administrative costs to ensure all monies raised will directly benefit the selected charities.
