Runners and Cyclists Challenge Themselves to Send More Kids to Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camps
Westport, CT, (April 17, 2009) – When their feet hit the pavement at the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20th, 85 Team Hole in the Wall athletes will be motivated by more than the thrill of the race. Each runs with a goal to raise sufficient funds to send a seriously ill child to one of Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camps. Beginning April 20th, Newman’s Own®, Inc. will join the effort as a national sponsor, enabling the Team to recruit and connect more athletes with the mission of Hole in the Wall Camps worldwide: to provide children with serious illnesses and conditions a camping experience of the highest quality, while extending year-round support to their families and health care providers.
Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camps is the largest family of camps for children with serious medical conditions. The Camps offer children hope and healing through therapeutic recreation, universally accessible activities, and round-the-clock medical care. Camp services help restore a sense of normalcy to lives turned upside down by serious illness, and it is all done free of charge.
Team Hole in the Wall participants have raised more than $4.2 million since the program’s inception in 2004. Thanks to the Team, thousands of children have enjoyed empowering and life-affirming experiences at Hole in the Wall Camps across the globe. As a national sponsor, support from Newman’s Own, Inc. will be used to recruit and support additional runners and cyclists to help more kids to attend all 13 Hole in the Wall Camps. The Camps that comprise the global Association of Hole in the Wall Camps include: Camp Boggy Creek, FL; Double H Ranch, NY; Flying Horse Farms, OH; The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, CT; The Painted Turtle, CA; Roundup River Ranch, CO; Victory Junction, NC; Barretstown, Ireland; Bátor Tábor, Hungary; Dynamo Camp, Italy; L’Envol, France; Jordan River Village, Israel; and Over the Wall, UK.
“What began with a handful of runners and cyclists supporting The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut has become a national and international endeavor,” observes Mike Smiles, chief development officer at The Hole in the Wall Gang Fund, Inc. “This national sponsorship from Newman’s Own, Inc. will help share the Team Hole in the Wall athletic fundraising initiative that partners athletes with the mission of the Hole in the Wall Camps,” according to Smiles.
Hole in the Wall Camps are independently funded and operate entirely on charitable contributions to provide fee-free services to children, families and healthcare providers. Each marathoner has a goal of raising at least $3,000, enough to send one child to a Camp for a week.
“The Team is all about people on the move to help more seriously ill children experience the joy and transformational power of the Camps. Newman’s Own is proud to sponsor this growing team of marathoners and cyclists who are all challenging themselves to help the kids,” according to Mike Havard, vice president of marketing, Newman’s Own, Inc.
Each Teammate has a personal and powerful story about why he or she participates as a Team Hole in the Wall athlete. From doctors to construction workers, teachers to firefighters, thousands of individuals are taking action to support the brave and beautiful children around the world. “It’s a very powerful tapestry of devoted individuals,” observes Matthew Cook, camp director at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. “The Teammates, like the children and families in our care, are an inspiration to our staff. To run with them in support of our mission is an absolute thrill.” Cook is among a growing contingent of Hole in the Wall Camp staffers, volunteers, and board members who have joined the Team for marathon and cycling events.
Team Hole in the Wall offers an ambitious schedule of marathon and half-marathon events that include the Boston Marathon, London Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, New York City Marathon and a number of regional marathons throughout the United States. The Team provides guaranteed race entries and also produces a series of cycling events to empower athletes to make a difference in the lives of children and families coping with serious illnesses. The AngelRide cycling series is currently available in Connecticut. For more information about Team Hole in the Wall and ways to participate, visit www.teamholeinthewall.org
About Newman's Own, Inc. Newman’s Own®, Inc., founded on a lark by Paul Newman and his buddy A.E. Hotchner in 1982, is now a leading (and growing!) premium food company that offers more than 175 varieties of delicious all-natural food and beverage products, including our marinades; Thin & Crispy Crust frozen pizza and Sweet Enough breakfast cereals. Based in Westport, CT, the charitable mission of Newman’s Own is expressed in its Company motto: “Shameless exploitation in pursuit of the Common Good.” Newman's Own Foundation continues Paul Newman’s commitment to donate all profits to charity. More than $260 million has been given to thousands of charities since 1982. Visit
www.newmansown.com for the nearest retailer/s that carry Newman’s Own products and for recipe suggestions using Newman’s Own products. Newman’s Own® Organics, founded by Paul’s daughter Nell Newman, offers a wide array of delicious organic products,
www.newmansownorganics.com.
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