MADISON, Wis. (September 6, 2022) – The IRONMAN® Foundation will distribute more than $77,000 in giveback to charitable initiatives and groups in the greater Madison region in conjunction with the 2022 IRONMAN® Wisconsin, part of the VinFast IRONMAN U.S. Series, and IRONMAN® 70.3® Wisconsin. This year’s grant funding brings The IRONMAN Foundation’s total historical giveback within the region to more than $1.38 million since inception.
Community Giveback
In 2020, The IRONMAN Foundation established the Dave Orlowski Memorial Grant. Dave Orlowski was a pioneer in the sport of triathlon as one of the original IRONMAN finishers in 1978, as well as a member of The IRONMAN Foundation Board of Directors. The grant, given out annually, honors Orlowski’s legacy of service through sport and commitment to his community by recognizing charitable organizations throughout IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race communities. Tri 4 Schools, a local non-profit whose mission is to provide programs and multi-sport events to kids, schools, and communities, encouraging them to live an active lifestyle will receive this year’s Dave Orlowski Memorial Grant.
"We are proud to honor the memory of one of IRONMAN’s beloved original heroes, Dave Orlowski, and carry on his legacy through community service during this year’s events," said Audra Tassone-Indeck, Executive Director of The IRONMAN Foundation. "As Madison, Wis. was one of Dave’s favorite race communities, we are honored to support the work Tri 4 Schools is doing in this region. Their work to empower kids, schools, and communities to be healthy and happy is exactly the kind of work that Dave believed in.”
In addition, Tri 4 Schools will receive 50 backpacks through The IRONMAN Foundation’s We’ve Got Your Back(Pack) program. Athletes and supporters are invited to stop by The IRONMAN Foundation booth in the IRONMAN Village Thursday, September 8 and Friday, September 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to join in stuffing backpacks with wellness items to encourage students supported by Tri 4 Schools to live active and healthy lives. All items for the backpacks will be supplied by The IRONMAN Foundation.
IRONMAN Foundation Athletes
Father-daughter duo, Maggie Swanson and Tad Weiss will race together for the first time with The IRONMAN Foundation’s TEAM IMF at IRONMAN Wisconsin, part of the VinFast IRONMAN U.S. Series, on September 11, 2022. Weiss took part in the first IRONMAN Wisconsin triathlon in 2002, and Swanson completed her first full-distance IRONMAN race at the IRONMAN Wisconsin triathlon in 2021. Swanson began participating in triathlon in 2015, one year after she nearly lost her life in Seville, Spain. Swanson and Weiss recently wrote a book, “25 Meters to God,” which details Maggie’s journey and recovery after being hit and thrown 25 meters (82 feet) by a bus while studying abroad. The duo has raised more than $335,000 for four different charities, including The IRONMAN Foundation.
For more information on The IRONMAN Foundation and how to support its programs visit www.ironmanfoundation.org.
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About The IRONMAN Foundation
The IRONMAN Foundation creates positive, tangible change in race communities by engaging athletes and volunteers to participate in programs that demonstrate service through sport and commitment to the community. Since 2003, over $55,000,000 has been provided through giveback programs led by the IRONMAN Foundation to more than 10,000 local, regional, national, and global nonprofit initiatives. Through these partnerships, IRONMAN and Rock' n' Roll Running Series participants are powerfully linked to the community and together help leave a positive legacy behind in race communities long after event day. For more information on IRONMAN Foundation programs, including Team IMF, Community Fund, Rock This Town®, Your Journey Your Cause®, and Race For Change™, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org.
About The IRONMAN Group
The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that include the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll® Running Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running™ Series, IRONKIDS®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf®, UTMB® World Series events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events including Haute Route®, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world and provides more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.
About Advance
Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, 1010data and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 17,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com. |
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