Group helps competitors raise money for charities

Madison businessman Greg Kopan is gearing up for his first Ironman Triathlon.

"I've wanted to do the original Ironman in Kona (Hawaii). That's always been my dream for years," Kopan said. "When Ironman expanded its series to include Wisconsin, that really lit the fire for me to do it as a stepping stone to Kona."

He's been putting in long hours working out with the help of a personal trainer. Running, swimming and biking, mile after mile, week after week, Kopan, 51, applies both physical and mental discipline to fulfill a lofty ambition.

Kopan is co-owner with his wife, Diane, of Sport Court, a distributor of athletic surfaces for residential basketball and tennis courts.

"My goal is to not crawl across the finish line," he said.

The Wisconsin Ironman includes a 2.4 mile swim in Lake Monona, a 112-mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run along Madison streets.

He has no intentions of winning this world-class event. But Kopan still aims to outpace his competition.

"The other part of my goal has to do with my brother-in-law Dale, who has Parkinson's," he said. "I'm doing this to raise money to find a cure."

Raising money for charities

Kopan is among a growing number of Ironman competitors who are using the race to build financial support for their favorite charity. With the help of funding organizations affiliated with the event, individuals such as Kopan can reach out to friends, family and business associates to prompt generous donations.

"Being able to pick the charity is very important," Kopan said. "That makes the effort that much more personal, that much more special."

Kopan's brother-in-law Dale Carlstrom was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease when he was 42. Now 51, his illness has advanced to the point where the once athletic and physically active man can only watch from the sidelines.

"What I'm able to do is really nothing compared to the challenge that Dale has to go through. With so many people with Parkinson's and other disabilities, those are deep motivating factors," Kopan said. "So when I'm out there and things start getting sore or tough, there are two things that go through my head. One is to remember my faith in God and the other is this chant I have, which is 'For Dale.' "

Oftentimes, amateur sporting events such as triathlons, marathons and 10Ks are organized to support a specific cause.

The Race for the Cure, for example, supports cancer research. And the ACT 5 AIDS Ride raises money to provide services to those with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Participants get pledges of money, in addition to their race fees, to fill the coffers of the event's title charity.

Agency helps competitors

But when a race like the Wisconsin Ironman has no title charity, participants can still raise money for those in need through organizations like the Janus Charity Challenge. Director of corporate sponsorships, Casey Cortese, said her group helps make raising money on your own a lot easier.

"The whole concept of fundraising can be terrifying if it's not what you're used to," Cortese said. "Janus gives Ironman athletes the tools and resources they need to really make a difference for their charity."

A Web site (www.januscharitychallenge.com) allows each participating athlete to register his or her charity. They receive instructions and advice on how to get the word out to potential donors.

Participants even get their own separate Web page to tell the story behind their fundraising efforts. Cortese said once athletes make contact and explain their goals, often the rest is simple.

"Few races have the name recognition and media power of Ironman," she said. "And because so many people know what a big deal it is just to finish they're a lot more willing to give."

Diane is leading the effort to contact as many people as possible for their opportunity to contribute. "We don't have to reinvent the wheel. They have a lot of templates and form letters to make my job pretty simple," she said. "And Janus is such a reputable company. People trust their name and that gives this a lot of credibility."

The Janus Capital Group is best known as a market investment company. It's also the presenting sponsor of the Wisconsin Ironman competition.

Cortese said supporting the event gives her company an opportunity to give back to the community. "And by supporting local athletes we can make sure that we support the charitable organizations that are important to them," she said. "We can get involved by helping to make their donations go a lot further."

$50,000 in incentives

Janus offers $50,000 in incentives to reward the 50 most successful fundraisers. The top fundraiser in the Charity Challenge receives an additional $10,000 for his or her charity. Lesser awards, ranging from $100 to $8,000, are also granted.

In 2006, 65 Ironman competitors raised $1,039,976.41. That money was donated to several charities, which included Edgewood College, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the UW Foundation-Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Wisconsin Sports Foundation. Charity Challenge organizers say they hope to exceed this effort in 2007.

Darren Fortney, an Ironman competitor and a transportation specialist at the Madison engineering firm Shot Elliott Hendrickson, raised more than $20,000 last year to find a cure for cancer. Himself a cancer survivor, Fortney said he put in almost as much time and energy raising money as he did training for the race.

"It was such a great opportunity to have the whole Ironman journey just mean more," Fortuney said. "There's all the effort that you put into training to get across the finish line. But when you do, you don't what to say, 'was that it?'

Working toward a cause really made it all worthwhile."

James Edward Mills is a Madison freelance writer.