One of this year’s most anticipated endurance challenges, the IRONMAN® World Championship triathlon set to take place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, is fast approaching. While the race’s hundreds of registered participants are busy preparing for the event, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), a leading organization dedicated to finding cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, had the idea of offering the golden opportunity to join the IRONMAN race up for bidding.

The CCFA will be hosting an online auction for a place in the 2016 IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii on October 1, 2015, with the announcement of the winner taking place on October 6. All proceeds from the auction will go directly to the Foundation’s decades-long goal to support research efforts and patient support services for people suffering from inflammatory bowel disease.

Those interested in learning more about the auction and how to place a bid can visit www.ccteamchallenge.org/kona or contact Aaron Castens at 646-750-7100 or [email protected].

About Team Challenge

Team Challenge is an endurance training and fundraising program unlike any other. The organisers explain that “it’s a unique opportunity to change your life and the lives of others. After our customized training program, you will have forged new friendships and accomplished things you never thought possible. No matter what your fitness level, you will train for a rewarding and exciting endurance event at one of our great destination races while raising vital funds to help find cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.”

In other recent news, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), together with construction toy company K’NEX, is set to launch “Be an IBD Superhero” this Fall to help raise funds and public awareness for the many children who are already living with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Funds collected by the CCFA will go directly to supporting ongoing and future research initiatives to find better ways to manage pediatric IBD.

This youth fundraiser is the first in the U.S. to bring together IBD resources and make them available in places where children spend most of their day, such as in schools and youth programs. The fundraiser aims to educate not only these venues’ adult members, but it also lets students themselves better understand these chronic conditions, and how best to support anyone who has them. As for children already diagnosed with IBD, the program will facilitate discussions between them and faculty/staff members on their specific needs and concerns.