IRONMAN Foundation Announces 2021 IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund Programs & Honors Late Board of Directors Member Dave Orlowski with Memorial Grant
– IRONMAN Foundation commemorates Dave Orlowski, one of the original IRONMAN finishers, with an annual $5,000 memorial grant
– Grant applications for the IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund now open for health-related organizations
The IRONMAN Foundation® has kicked off its 2021 giving year with the announcement of the Dave Orlowski Memorial Grant and its 2021 IRONAIDTM COVID-19 Support Fund programs, including Operation IRONAID Face Masks in partnership with Framebridge and Good360.
Dave Orlowski Memorial Grant
In memory of Dave Orlowski, one of the original IRONMAN finishers from 1978 and IRONMAN Foundation Board of Directors member, the IRONMAN Foundation has launched the Dave Orlowski Memorial Grant to acknowledge one of the pioneers of the sport of triathlon. At the request of the Orlowski family, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital received the first Dave Orlowski Memorial Grant in the amount of $5,000 following Dave’s passing on Dec. 15, 2020. The annual grant will honor Dave’s legacy of service through sport and commitment to community by recognizing charitable organizations throughout IRONMAN and IRONMAN® 70.3® race communities. The 2021 Dave Orlowski Memorial Grant will be distributed to an organization within in the Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i community, home of the IRONMAN World Championship® and a location near and dear to Dave. Grantees will be announced on a date near Dave’s birthdate of August 25 and will be selected by local Race Directors.
“The passing of one of IRONMAN’s beloved original heroes has been difficult for all of us in the triathlon `ohana,” said Shane Facteau, Board of Directors, President for the IRONMAN Foundation and Chief Operating Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “As a community, we will continue to chase for the standards that Dave Orlowski set for triathlon and will aim to carry on his courage, empathy, perseverance, and optimism within the communities that we serve.”
IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund
In 2020, the IRONMAN Foundation announced the expansion of its IRONAID program to specifically focus on serving event communities in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through its 2020 IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund grant program, over $500,000 was distributed to 200 charitable organizations. The IRONMAN Foundation will continue its commitment to support IRONMAN, IRONMAN 70.3, and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series® host cities with the continuation of the IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund grant program in to 2021 where it will support charitable organizations and COVID-19 response programs.
“As we continue to face the global challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are extremely thankful to our partners who chose to continue on this journey with us in 2021 to provide support through grant funding, non-sterile face masks, and nutritional aid,” Facteau added.
2021 IRONAID COVID-19 Support Fund grant applications are now being accepted for the first round of grants from health-related organizations with COVID-19 response programs at www.ironmanfoundation.org/ironaid. The deadline for submission is Friday, March 5, at 11:59 PM ET.
Operation IRONAID Face Masks
Since April of 2020, the IRONMAN Foundation, Framebridge, and Good360 have partnered for Operation IRONAID Face Masks, a program that distributes non-sterile face masks to first responders, hospitals, and other organizations serving individuals in need. Together, these brands are repurposing new and unused shirts into non-sterile face masks. To date, over 40,000 face masks have been distributed to organizations throughout the United States, including the Professional Firefighters of Arizona, the City of San Francisco, the Nashville Rescue Mission, and Elliot Respiratory Department in New Hampshire. Non-profit organizations can apply to receive non-sterile face masks through Operation IRONAID Face Masks in partnership with Framebridge and Good360 at www.ironmanfoundation.org/ironaid.