Triathletes will compete and raise money to fund rare disease research
NEW YORK — For the third year in a row, the Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) is pleased to be the exclusive Official Charity Partner for the IRONMAN® Florida triathlon that will take place in Panama City, Florida on November 5, 2016. The Children’s Tumor Foundation is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to funding research for neurofibromatosis (NF), a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. NF affects one in 3,000 people of all populations; currently there is no effective treatment or cure.
At this year’s IRONMAN Florida event, over 3,000 athletes will compete in the ultimate single-day endurance event: a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, and then a 26.2-mile marathon run through Panama City Beach and its surrounding areas. General entry for the event is already sold out, but athletes can still participate by partnering with the NF Endurance team of the Children’s Tumor Foundation. One of the key benefits of joining the IRONMAN Florida NF Endurance team is the assignment of an NF Hero – someone living with NF who overcomes the challenges of the disease and thereby inspires the athlete to go further. In fact, IRONMAN athletes and NF heroes support one another throughout the training process with letters of encouragement and photos.
“Every triathlete has a mantra to propel him or her to the finish line,” said Jerry Beasley, a 2016 NF Endurance IRONMAN Florida athlete who will be participating in November. “What has and continues to motivate me is in the faces of the kids of the Children’s Tumor Foundation. Their expressions speak loudly: ‘I will never stop trying, I will never give up, I will never quit.’ IRONMAN Florida with the CTF NF Endurance team is a personal challenge that does real and lasting good in our world.”
NF Endurance is a national fundraising program of the Children’s Tumor Foundation that gives participants the opportunity to swim, bike or run in endurance events around the world while raising money and awareness for neurofibromatosis.
“Over the past two years, the NF Endurance team has raised over $900,000 for NF research through our partnership with IRONMAN Florida,” said Angela Earle, NF Endurance Manager. “Connecting athletes with NF heroes elevates the training experience and fundraising efforts, while the personal connection to a child living with NF makes it even more meaningful for everyone involved.”
For additional information about the Children’s Tumor Foundation and to join the NF Endurance team, visit www.ctf.org.
About Children’s Tumor Foundation
The Children’s Tumor Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to finding effective treatments for the millions of people worldwide living with neurofibromatosis (NF), a term for three distinct disorders: NF1, NF2, and schwannomatosis. NF causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body and may lead to blindness, deafness, bone abnormalities, disfigurement, learning disabilities, disabling pain, and cancer. NF affects one in every 3,000 people, more than cystic fibrosis, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and Huntington’s disease combined. The Children’s Tumor Foundation funds critical research into neurofibromatosis. In addition to benefiting those who live with NF, this research is shedding new light on several forms of cancer, brain tumors, bone abnormalities, and learning disabilities, ultimately benefiting the broader community. For more information, please visit www.ctf.org.
