Janus Charity Challenge Caps off an Incredible Year at Ironman Florida
PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.-The Janus Charity Challenge has exceeded all expectations in 2002, with the final race of the year bringing in an estimated $508,032.87*! 33 different nonprofit organizations throughout the United States will benefit from the tremendous efforts of 31 individual athletes and one team of three.
The Janus Charity Challenge was initiated in 2001 as a way to encourage athletes to use their participation in Ironman races to raise money for charity. This fundraising program unique in that Ironman athletes can personally select the charity for whom they would like to raise funds. Their charitable efforts can therefore go to a nonprofit that holds special significance for them. The only qualification is that the charity recipient must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, meaning that they hold a special tax exempt status from the IRS.
The Ironman Florida participants have joined the prestigious ranks of the Janus Charity Challenge athletes who were able to raise over $1.7 million dollars for charity in total this year . "This level of contribution by so few individuals is amazing," said Casey Cortese, sponsorship marketing manager for Janus. "The possibilities for the program in 2003 are limitless. There are already many athletes registered for next year's Challenge, several of whom are hoping to set new records with their fundraising efforts."
The top fundraisers in Florida did indeed set new records. The first and second place fundraisers have surpassed all other individual efforts since the inception of the program.
For Janus Charity Challenge Info and Guidelines,
1st place individual: Scott Moore, K & R Foundation, $97,100.00 Scott's beneficiary will receive an additional contribution of $10,000.00 from Janus.
2nd place individual: Gary Rodbell, Barth Syndrome Foundation, $74,000.00 The Barth Syndrome Foundation will receive an extra $5,000.00 from Janus.
3rd place individual: Jack Evans, First Presbyterian Church Capital Fund, $64,370.00 Jack's nonprofit will benefit by an additional $3,000.00.
1st place team: Team Tommy Bahama, under the leadership of Anne Cavassa, team of 3, The Garden of Hope and Courage, $75,000.00 The Garden of Hope and Courage will benefit from an additional $8,500.00 in recognition of their efforts.
The following athletes should also be commended for their tremendous fundraising efforts. The top 25 fundraisers of those listed below will have an additional $750.00 donated to their beneficiary.
Chris Arnold, St. Barnabas Medical Foundation, NICU Fund
John Barr, Custer Road United Methodist Church Youth Group
Ted Blair, Lance Armstrong Foundation
Bob Brubaker, American Lung Association
Matthew Colliton, Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation
David Drucker, Kids Helping Kids
Arthur Forgette, Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
David Garner, Habitat for Humanity - Jackson, MS
Wendy Holmes, Kids Helping Kids
Moira Horan, The Thomas R. Elsasser Memorial Scholarship Fund, Inc.
Glen Jusczyk, Soccer for Kids Sake
Michael Kane, American Heart Association
Len Lesham, Special Olympics, Delaware Chapter
John Livingston, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, KY Chapter
John Morse, Salesian Lay Missioners Book Fund
Jim Moseley, Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation
Maura Mulligan, St. Jude's Research Hospital
Susan Pantlea, Autism Society of North Carolina
Garrett Pierce, The Gift Foundation
Anthony Pomponio, Suncoast Worship Center
Rick Rice, Somerset Christian School
Jonathan Roche, Salima AIDS Support Organization
Robert Seemuth, The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform
Kevin Spina, Oakwood Center of the Palm Beaches
Jean-Pierre Stephan, Community Health Charities
Paul Toups, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
Colin Walker, The Coleen Giblin Foundation
Jim Winett, The Dream Foundation
Jim Winett, The John Boland Foundation
*(All totals are unaudited. Results will be official upon verification of receipt of funds by each beneficiary.)
For a Janus Charity Challenge registration or donation form,
visit http://www.januscharitychallenge.com.