IRONMAN Foundation to Support Hurricane Harvey Recovery Efforts
Service project part of $140,000 in charitable giveback at
2018 Memorial Hermann IRONMAN North American Championship Texas
TAMPA, Fla. (April 20, 2018) – The IRONMAN Foundation® announced today that it will award a $35,000 Humanitarian Relief Effort grant to Rebuilding Together Houston. The grant will help restore the homes of two seniors, Ms. Dorothy and Mr. Ronald, who live in Harris County and were impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The grant will also provide athletes with the opportunity to help restore their homes during a service project on April 26. Collectively, they will complete exterior work on Ms. Dorothy’s home and interior work on Mr. Ronald’s home. In addition, the IRONMAN Foundation will distribute $140,000 in charitable giveback to non-profit initiatives and groups in the greater Harris County and Montgomery County regions in conjunction with the 2018 Memorial Hermann IRONMAN® North American Championship Texas triathlon taking place on Saturday, April 28.
“Hurricane Harvey devastated families across the greater Houston area; the recovery here will take years,” said Christine Holland, CEO and Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Houston. “We’re very thankful for the partnership with the IRONMAN Foundation—this year’s gift will help give two families stability and get them back into their homes to start rebuilding their lives.”
When Hurricane Harvey’s record flood waters devastated much of Southeast Texas, the IRONMAN community stepped up to support the IRONMAN Foundation’s Humanitarian Relief Effort campaign. In addition to Rebuilding Together Houston, Interfaith of The Woodlands will receive a $10,000 grant – $5,000 will support their ongoing Harvey recovery efforts in Montgomery County and $5,000 will support their mission-based projects, including the Interfaith Food Pantry Assistance Program.
Seven additional local non-profit organizations will receive Community Grant awards during race week of the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN North American Texas triathlon. They include Angel Reach, Boy Scouts of America Troop 491, Education for Tomorrow Alliance, Meals on Wheels Montgomery County, Montgomery County Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Magnolia ISD and Boy Scouts of America Troop 1042.
The IRONMAN Foundation Community Fund provides community and volunteerism grant opportunities to non-profit organizations where IRONMAN and IRONMAN® 70.3® events are held. This year’s grant funding brings the total giveback to more than $960,000 in the region since the first event in The Woodlands. In 2018, the IRONMAN Foundation will distribute more than $1.7 million in grant funding to support the needs of IRONMAN race communities across North America.
“It’s a privilege to support so many incredible local community organizations and to continue assisting with the community’s Hurricane Harvey recovery,” said Sarah Hartmann, acting Executive Director of the IRONMAN Foundation. “Together we are creating a lasting and tangible impact here in Southeast Texas. It will be a highlight to meet Ms. Dorothy and Mr. Ronald at the service project, introduce them to our IRONMAN athletes and welcome them back home.”
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® 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.
About Rebuilding Together Houston
Repairing homes and restoring hope, Rebuilding Together Houston impacts the lives of over a thousand Houstonians each year by providing free home repairs for low-income elderly, U.S. Military Veterans, and people with disabilities. We are a not-for-profit organization committed to the idea that all people deserve safe and healthy housing. Since 1982, we have reinvested more than $120 million in affordable housing throughout Houston and Harris County. In 2016 alone, our organization served 580 families, making it possible for family members to remain independent in their own homes. Through the work of volunteer groups and licensed contractors, and with the financial support of individual donors, local businesses and corporate partners, Rebuilding Together Houston improves the lives of our neighbors and revitalizes Houston communities, shaping a brighter future for our city and make it a better place to call home.