IRONMAN Foundation Awards Third Round of IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund Grants and Launches September Virtual Challenge

– 190 organizations in total provided support through the IRONMAN Foundation’s IRONAID program

– The IRONAID 140.6, a 30-Day Virtual Challenge, to launch on IRONMAN Virtual Club

TAMPA, Fla. (August 20, 2020) – The IRONMAN Foundation® has announced its third distribution of IRONAIDTM COVID-19 Support Fund grants to be awarded to 40 charitable organizations and COVID-19 response programs. To date, over $300,000 in funds have been distributed to 120 health-related charitable organizations through the IRONMAN Foundation’s IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund grants. Aiming to address some of the most pressing issues during the pandemic, the IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund program has impacted more than 2.5 million people globally to date.

“Our hearts are with our event communities as emergent needs continue to arise due to the ongoing pandemic,” said Sarah Hartmann, Executive Director of the IRONMAN Foundation. “We are grateful to our athletes, partners and donors for their continued support which is allowing us to meet these needs through grant funding, face masks and nutritional support. We challenge our global athlete community to register for The IRONAID 140.6 Virtual Challenge and dedicate your bike and run miles for the 30 days of September to the IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund.” 

IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund grants are available to health-related nonprofit organizations worldwide. Supported grantee programs include medical assistance; support of children, youth, and veterans; impoverished and other vulnerable populations; feeding the hungry; and general emergency relief. 

IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund Round Three Grantees  

• Children’s Trust Foundation Roanoke Valley, Inc., Roanoke, Virginia, USA

• Colette’s Children’s Home, Huntington Beach, California, USA
• DC SAFE, Washington, D.C., USA
• Educational Foundation of Lake County, Leesburg, Florida, USA
• Elizabeth-Lewis Emergency Squad, Inc., Elizabethtown, New York, USA
• First Assembly of God, Inc. of Mulberry Florida, Mulberry, Florida, USA

• FIRST-TIME MOM, Aurora, Illinois, USA
• Florence Crittenton Services of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
• Florence Fang Community Farm, San Francisco, California, USA
• Girl Stance, Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA
• Girls on the Run Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, California, USA

• HandsOn Bay Area, San Francisco, California, USA
• Houston Responds, Houston, Texas, USA
• I Grow Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Kiwanis Clubs of Southern Nevada Foundation, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
• Las Vegas Rescue Mission, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

• NAMI Dane County, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
• Norte, Traverse City, Michigan, USA
• Northwest Assistance Ministries, Houston, Texas, USA
• Port of Support & Pathwayz to Success, Federal Way, Washington, USA
• Princen Sammy & Herty Foundation, Edmonton, Canada

• Pryor’ity Inc., Muncie, Indiana, USA
• Recovery International, Oak Brook, Illinois, USA
• Shepherd’s Hope, Winter Garden, Florida, USA
• Southeastern Virginia Health System, Newport News, Virginia, USA
• Spectrum for Living, River Vale, New Jersey, USA

• Spectrum Health Foundation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA
• The Fenwick Foundation, Arlington, Virginia, USA
• The Gateway Family YMCA, Elizabeth, New Jersey, USA
• The Lydia Project, Augusta, Georgia, USA
• The Post Falls Food Bank, Post Falls, Idaho, USA

• The Shop Docs, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
• The Volo Kids Foundation, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
• The WATERED, Mesa, Arizona, USA
• Ubuntu Pathways, New York, New York, USA
• UnidosUS, Washington, D.C., USA

• Volunteers in Medicine America, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA
• wear blue: run to remember, DuPont, Washington, USA
• Westside Fire District, Sandpoint, Idaho, USA
• YMCA of Chesapeake, Easton, Maryland, USA

The IRONAID 140.6 Virtual Challenge  

The IRONAID 140.6 Virtual Challenge through the IRONMAN® Virtual Club™ is a 30-day event where IRONMAN athletes will dedicate a cumulative 140.6 run/bike miles to the IRONMAN Foundation’s IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund. Athletes that participate in the challenge will be able to track their mileage over the the month of September. Athletes may also choose to fundraise and have the opportunity to win prizes including IRONMAN Foundation gear, Curad IRONMAN Performance Series K-Tape, running shoes from HOKA ONE ONE, a Normatec by Hyperice Hypervolt recovery tool and ROKA sunglasses. Registration for the IRONAID 140.6 Virtual Challenge opens Friday, August 21 by visiting www.ironmanvc.com. The IRONAID 140.6 Virtual Challenge will start at 12:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, September 1, and end at 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020.

Grant applications for the fourth round of IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund grants are currently being accepted from health-related organizations with COVID-19 response programs.  For additional information on the IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund and how to donate, as well as Operation IRONAID Nutrition and Operation IRONAID Face Masks in partnership with Framebridge and supported by Good360 visit www.ironmanfoundation.org/ironaid. For more information about the IRONAID 140.6 Virtual Challenge or to register visit www.ironmanfoundation.org/ironaid1406.

For more information on the IRONMAN Foundation visit http://www.ironmanfoundation.org. For media related inquiries, please contact  press@ironman.com.

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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 community. Since 2003, over $50,000,000 has been provided through giveback programs led by the IRONMAN Foundation to more than 9,500 local, regional, national and global nonprofit initiatives. Through these partnerships, IRONMAN and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon 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 Women For Tri, 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, the IRONMAN® Virtual Racing™ (VR™) Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series®, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Running™ Series, IRONKIDS®, ITU World Triathlon Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and The Sun-Herald City2Surf® presented by Westpac, Ultra-Trail® World Tour events including Tarawera Ultra and Ultra-Trail Australia™, 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. 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 (www.advance.com), a private, family-owned business. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.