The IRONMAN Foundation to Celebrate 25th Anniversary of Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid Triathlon by Distributing $67,500 in Charitable Giveback to Local Organizations

July 17, 2024

– Total historical giveback reaches $2 Million in Lake Placid and surrounding communities

– In addition to grant funding, The IRONMAN Foundation will host Bikes For Kids inside the IRONMAN Village on July 18 through 20

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. / TAMPA, Fla. (July 17, 2024) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The IRONMAN Foundation, Inc. is commemorating the 25^th anniversary of the iconic Athletic Brewing IRONMAN^® Lake Placid triathlon, part of the VinFast IRONMAN North American Series, by distributing $67,500 in charitable giveback to local organizations in the Lake Placid region through grant funding and the distribution of bicycles to community youths. This brings the historical charitable donation total from The IRONMAN Foundation to over $2 million in Lake Placid and surrounding communities.

“We are thrilled to celebrate this major milestone for the IRONMAN Lake Placid race by giving back to the community that has supported this iconic event for 25 years,” said Audra Tassone-Indeck, Executive Director, The IRONMAN Foundation. “We encourage the community to get involved by volunteering or coming out to cheer on our athletes while also celebrating our deep community impact.”

Grant recipients for this year’s Athletic Brewing IRONMAN Lake Placid event include the Adirondack Foundation, Ausable River Association, Lake Placid Whiteface Visitors Bureau, Wilmington Parks and Recreation, and more.

The Mirror Lake Watershed Association will receive the Dave Orlowski Memorial Grant. This grant was established in 2020 after the passing of Orlowski, one of the original IRONMAN finishers from 1978, an IRONMAN Foundation Board of Directors member, and a beloved member of the IRONMAN ‘ohana. The annual grant honors Dave Orlowski’s legacy of service through sport and commitment to community; it is provided to one organization from among the IRONMAN and IRONMAN^® 70.3^® race communities in North America.

In addition to grant funding, The IRONMAN Foundation will host Bikes For Kids in IRONMAN Village July 18 through 20. Through Bikes For Kids, athletes, supporters, and guests are invited to stop at The IRONMAN Foundation booth to build a bike and leave a personal note of encouragement for a community child who will be gifted with the bike. In total, seventy-five bikes and helmets will be assembled and distributed to youth at the Lake Placid Central School District.

The IRONMAN Foundation activities will continue race day, with three pro athlete relay teams racing for the IRONMAN Foundation’s community initiatives. Earlier this year, three generous individuals bid on and won the opportunity to join an all-star list of very accomplished current and former professional triathletes.

IMF Team Red: (Bike) Relay Auction Winner Ali Dennison, will join (Swim) Andrea Fisher, former professional triathlete, the first woman to exit the water at the 1999 IRONMAN Lake Placid triathlon, along with (Run) Mirinda Carfrae, a 4x World Champion having won 3 IRONMAN World Championship^® titles and an IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship title.

IMF Team White: (Bike) Relay Auction Winner Johnny O’Brien, will join (Swim and Run) Ben Hoffman, current professional triathlete and 8x IRONMAN champion as well as Andy Potts, former Olympian and 7x IRONMAN champion to split the swim and run segments.

IMF Team Blue: (Swim) Relay Auction Winner Heidi Watson, will join (Bike) Heather Jackson, former professional triathlete and 6x IRONMAN Champion, along with (Run) Sika Henry, the first US black female professional triathlete.

For more information on The IRONMAN Foundation’s impact, visit ironmanfoundation.org.

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About The IRONMAN Foundation

The IRONMAN Foundation creates positive, tangible change in IRONMAN race communities by engaging athletes and volunteers to participate in programs that demonstrate service through sport and commitment to community. Since 2003, over $55,000,000 has been provided through IRONMAN charitable giveback programs, including The IRONMAN Foundation, to more than 10,000 local, regional, national, and global nonprofit initiatives. Through these partnerships, IRONMAN^® Series, Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, and UTMB^® 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 the IRONMAN Foundation programs, including Team IMF, Community Fund, Race For Change™, Rock This Town^®, and Your Journey Your Cause^®, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org.

About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB^®, Tarawera Ultra-Trail™ by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events, 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, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. 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, 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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