Event Leads with Junior Seau Adaptive Surf Clinic Presented by Challenged Athletes Foundation

Since inception, The IRONMAN Foundation^® has provided over $50 million in charitable givebacks globally to support non-profit initiatives

Oceanside CA— The IRONMAN Foundation^® will engage in their first charitable givebacks for the 2017 season with an adaptive surf clinic for youth as part of the Junior Seau Foundation Adaptive Youth Surf Program presented by Challenged Athletes Foundation, taking place on Sunday, April 2, 2017. This will be the first of eight service projects the IRONMAN Foundation is scheduled to lead for 2017. In addition, the IRONMAN Foundation will distribute over $33,000 in charitable giveback to non-profit initiatives and groups in the greater Oceanside, California community in conjunction with the 2017 IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Oceanside triathlon taking place on Saturday, April 1.
The clinic will host up to twenty kids with physical challenges that will spend the morning learning to paddle and surf at Oceanside Pier with the assistance of volunteers including professional triathletes, coaches and IRONMAN TriClub athletes from The IRONMAN Foundation’s new “TriClubs in Service” initiative. The Junior Seau Foundation Adaptive Surf Program presented by Challenge Athletes Foundation provides the opportunity for kids with physical challenges to learn how to surf, improve their skills and ultimately share in a lifestyle sport that so many in Southern California enjoy, while celebrating the legacy of Junior Seau, the former San Diego Chargers linebacker who lived in Oceanside and surfed regularly.
CAF Executive Director, Virginia Tinley said, “We are very grateful to the Junior Seau Foundation and the IRONMAN Foundation for advancing our program to teach and develop the next wave of challenged athletes in Adaptive Surfing. With surfing’s inclusion in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, we are hopeful that inclusion in the Paralympics will be next; these kids can shoot for the podium or just have a lot of fun learning to surf.”
The IRONMAN Foundation Community Fund provides community and volunteer grant opportunities to non-profit organizations where North American IRONMAN events are held. In 2017, The IRONMAN Foundation will distribute more than $1.5 million in grant funding to support the needs of IRONMAN race communities across North America, including a grant program to support organizations with a volunteerism component.
“We are honored to support so many outstanding local community organizations,” said Sarah Hartmann, Community Relations Manager for The IRONMAN Foundation. “Together we are creating a lasting and tangible impact in Oceanside. Last year, volunteer grant funding was distributed among 47 community groups in the region.”
Since its inception in 2003, The IRONMAN Foundation has worked with multiple non-profit organizations in the form of charity partnerships. CAF is the Official Charity Partner of the 2017 IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside triathlon. CAF’s Team Operation Rebound is on track to raise over $200,000 to help injured troops heal through sports and get them from the frontline to the finish line. With over 100 fundraisers and an inspiring team of challenged athletes competing, CAF’s mission to provide opportunities and support to people with physical challenges, so they can pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness and competitive athletics will come to life on April 1.
Partnering with an IRONMAN or IRONMAN 70.3 event provides a platform for charities to raise awareness and educate others about their cause while raising valuable funds towards their mission. Through these partnerships, $5.8 million was raised to support their respective missions in 2016 alone, and $24.4 million since the beginning of The IRONMAN Foundation’s charity partnership program. The partnership between The IRONMAN Foundation and CAF has raised over $4.2 million over the years that have provided adaptive sports equipment, coaching, mentoring and competition travel to include giving hundreds of challenged athletes the opportunity to participate in IRONMAN events globally.
For more information on IRONMAN and The IRONMAN Foundation, please visit www.ironman.com and www.ironmanfoundation.org.