LaFONTAINE ENTERS IRONMAN TRIATHLON SET FOR
FLORIDA ON NOVEMBER 6th
Hockey Hall-of-Famer's team to raise money for
CiC Foundation
LONG ISLAND, NY, June 23, 2004 - NHL Hall of
Famer, Pat LaFontaine always had a desire to
compete in an Ironman triathlon prior to his
40th birthday. Friends joked that he had taken
too many shots to the head during his career,
and perhaps was not aware of the preparation
involved for such a grueling event. But with a
firm resolve and a commitment to finish,
LaFontaine today registered for the Ironman
event that will be held in Panama City, FL on
Saturday, November 6th.
The former NHL star will be joined on the
Companions in Courage team by his friends Pete
Smith of Huntington, NY and Bob DeAngelo of
Greenwich, CT. The trio will participate with
more than 2,500 other competitors as they swim
2.4 miles in the Gulf of Mexico, bicycle 112
miles, and finish with a full 26.2 mile
marathon. The time limit for the entire event is
17 hours. The top American finisher in last
year's Florida Ironman Triathlon was Peter
Traylor of Alabama with a time of 8:52:19.
Speaking on behalf of his teammates, LaFontaine
said, "We are just looking to finish…"
The former hockey star spends a lot of time on
his bicycle traversing the hills of Long Island.
He recently participated in "The Montauk
Century," a 100-mile bike ride to the end of
Long Island. He said, "I'll have to work on my
open water swimming this summer, and hope that
my adrenaline will carry me through the marathon
run."
In a special twist, the Companions in Courage
team will also be able to raise money to support
the foundation's efforts to build interactive
game rooms in children's hospitals. The Janus
Capital Group of Denver has initiated the Janus
Charity Challenge for the Florida Triathlon. The
Challenge is unique in that there is no
designated beneficiary - participants choose to
raise funds for the 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization they are most passionate about.
Janus will contribute an additional $10,000 to
the leading fund raiser in the race. And the top
30 fundraisers are guaranteed at least an
additional $750 donation from Janus. Friends of
Companions in Courage Foundation are encouraged
to visit the triathlon team's website at
http://www.active.com/donate/CiCFoundation
for more information on how you can participate
in this great event.
"Janus is proud to continue to offer this
exceptional program because it engages more
people in meeting the critical needs of their
communities. The incredible commitment of
athletes like Pat LaFontaine is a true testament
to the caliber of Ironman athletes, and only
helps to drive more awareness and support for
vital nonprofit organizations throughout the
country." said Janus sponsorship marketing
manager, Casey Cortese. You can track the
progress of all the members of Team Companions
in Courage on race day at www.ironmanlive.com.
|
