The first triathlon to benefit blood cancer research to take place Sept. 14, 2008 in Washington, DC
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society (LLS) and the Nation's Triathlon(R) today announced a new
partnership that will leverage the surging number of triathletes and
popularity of the sport to help raise money for blood cancer research.
Utilizing LLS's world-famous Team In Training(R) (TNT) endurance sports
training program -- which has raised $850 million for cancer research and
trained 360,000 people since its inception in 1988 -- the newly branded
Nation's Triathlon To Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the first
triathlon in the nation dedicated to raising money to help cure blood
cancers.
This year's race, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008, is projected to
raise more than $3.3 million to support LLS's research, patient education
and support initiatives.
"LLS's goal is to do for triathlons what we've done for marathons over
the past 20 years," said Nancy Klein, senior vice president, LLS Marketing
Communications, speaking of the fundraising program that grew from 40
runners to more than 360,000 in 20 years. "LLS is once again getting ahead
of the wave, and we're ready to put the muscle behind this campaign. More
importantly, triathletes are ready for the spaces to open to them."
The new partnership comes at a time when the popularity of triathlons
is growing exponentially, outpacing the capacity of existing triathlons.
For example, TNT's triathlon program has grown dramatically since it was
first introduced in 1999; last year alone, TNT trained more than 5,800
triathletes. Nation's Triathlon, launched two years ago, has grown
significantly as well, from nearly 500 participants in its first year to a
projected 3,500 participants this year. Set amid Washington, DC's
magnificent vistas and plentiful parkland, the race can continue to grow,
with the support of TNT, to become the largest triathlon in the world. The
capacity will not only widen the field for triathletes, but will contribute
significantly to boosting LLS's revenue for research and other
patient-focused programs.
"We are proud to forge a partnership with LLS," said Charles Brodsky,
the triathlon's founder. "The money they have raised over the years has
contributed significantly to research that is helping bring us closer to a
cure every day. To support such a worthy cause, while also giving people
the opportunity to participate in a sport that promotes fitness and good
health, is an exciting opportunity. We look forward to growing our
triathlon program and providing competitors with a world-class event in a
world- class city."
About Team In Training
Team In Training, the world's largest endurance sports training
program, succeeds by harnessing the dedication of people who cling
strongest to its goals and by providing four to five months of personal
training, making triathlon doable even for first-time athletes. Husbands,
wives, parents, children and friends of cancer patients -- sensing the
finish line is just ahead -- raise more than $100 million each year,
supporting researchers and patients. The financial support has created
equally dramatic improvements in the way the blood cancers leukemia,
lymphoma and myeloma are diagnosed and treated -- from new drugs that can
cure to improved therapies that make treatment less harsh on the body. For
additional information, call (800) 482- TEAM or visit
www.teamintraining.org
About Nation's Triathlon
Nation's Triathlon is the premiere Olympic distance triathlon in the
United States. Set against the magnificent and patriotic setting of the
nation's capital and its monuments, participants in the Nation's Triathlon
will swim 1.5K in the Potomac River, a course that will take them under the
Memorial Bridge, bike 40K through downtown DC, out onto Clara Barton
Parkway and Rock Creek Park, and run 10K through downtown DC, past the
White House, Washington Monument and the National Mall, finishing on the
plaza of the Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue. Major sponsors include:
UnitedHealthcare - Official Healthcare Provider and Sponsor of The
UnitedHealthcare Sports & Fitness Expo; Timex -- Official Timekeeper for
The Timex Timing Zone; and JetBlue -- Official Airline and Sponsor for The
JetBlue Airways Finish Festival. Additional sponsors include: City Sports,
Crocs, Coke Zero, Dasani, and Race Train Fitness.
About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, headquartered in White Plains, NY,
with 68 chapters in the United States and Canada, is the world's largest
voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research
and providing education and patient services. The LLS mission: Cure
leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality
of life of patients and their families. Since its founding in 1949, LLS has
invested more than $550 million in research specifically targeting
leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. Last year alone, LLS made 5.1 million
contacts with patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals.
For more information about blood cancer, visit www.LLS.org or call the
LLS's Information Resource Center (IRC), a call center staffed by master's
level social workers, nurses and health educators who provide information,
support and resources to patients and their families and caregivers. IRC
information specialists are available at (800) 955-4572, Monday through
Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
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