The IRONMAN Foundation Launches Harvey Relief Effort

Funds raised through donations and custom Humanitarian T-shirt sales to support local recovery efforts and service projects

TAMPA, Fla. (August 30, 2017) – The IRONMAN Foundation® has launched a Harvey Relief Effort campaign to raise critical funds in response to the catastrophic and ongoing severe weather and flooding in Texas. Funds raised will support recovery efforts and service projects in the greater race communities for the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN® North American Championship Texas, Memorial Hermann IRONMAN® 70.3® Texas and Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon®.

With record floodwaters devastating much of southeast Texas, tens of thousands of people will seek emergency shelter and more than 450,000 will seek federal aid in recovering from Harvey. When the Category 4 hurricane made landfall, it was the most powerful to hit the United States in a decade. Officials have called the catastrophic flooding the worst in the state’s history. Thousands have been rescued from flooded homes and cars and recovery will take years. 

To help raise funds for those in need, the IRONMAN Foundation has set up three ways to help with the Harvey Relief Effort: 

• DONATE – The IRONMAN Foundation will match all donations made by September 30, 2017, up to $10,000.
• T-SHIRT SALES – 100% of the proceeds raised through the sale of a custom Humanitarian Harvey Relief T-Shirt will go towards the IRONMAN Foundation’s Harvey Relief Efforts.

• VOLUNTEER – The IRONMAN Foundation will be setting up local service projects during race week at the Humana Rock ‘n’ Roll San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon, Memorial Hermann IRONMAN 70.3 Texas triathlon, and Memorial Hermann IRONMAN North American Championship Texas triathlon to provide hands-on rebuilding assistance.

“We are calling upon our IRONMAN and Rock ‘n’ Roll communities to join us in helping to bring relief to these communities in a historic time of need,” said Dave Deschenes, Executive Director for The IRONMAN Foundation. “The areas affected will require ongoing assistance and both donations now and volunteer efforts down the road are critically important for relief and recovery efforts.”  

Pledges and t-shirt purchases may be made online or at all IRONMAN, IRONMAN 70.3 and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series event merchandise stores during September.  

For full details on the IRONMAN Foundation Harvey Relief Effort and how to donate, purchase t-shirts or volunteer, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org/harvey

For more information on IRONMAN and The IRONMAN Foundation, please visit www.ironman.com and 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 IRONMAN 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 IRONMAN Foundation programs to more than 6,300 local, regional, national and global nonprofit initiatives. Through these partnerships, IRONMAN athletes are powerfully linked to the community and together we leave the IRONMAN legacy behind in our race communities long after event day. For more information on IRONMAN Foundation programs, including Team IMF, Community Fund, Your Journey Your Cause, and Women For Tri, visit www.ironmanfoundation.org.

About IRONMAN

A Wanda Sports Holdings company, IRONMAN 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 Marathon Series®, Iron Girl®, IRONKIDS®, International Triathlon Union World Triathlon Series races, road cycling events including the UCI Velothon Majors Series, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic, premier marathons including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon and other multisport races. IRONMAN’s events, together with all other Wanda Sports Holdings events, provide more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. The iconic IRONMAN ® Series of events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at the world’s most challenging endurance races. Beginning as a single race, IRONMAN has grown to become a global sensation with more than 200 events across 50 countries. For more information, visit www.ironman.com.

About Wanda Sports Holdings

Wanda Sports Holdings is the world’s leading sports business entity, founded to capture the opportunities in the global sports industry and to contribute to the prosperous international sports landscape – in three key areas: 1) Spectator Sports (media & marketing business), 2) Participation Sports (active lifestyle business), 3) Services (digital, production and service business). Wanda Sports Holding incorporates the international sports marketing company Infront Sports & Media, the iconic endurance brand IRONMAN, and Wanda Sports China. The headquarters are in Guangzhou, China.