August 7, 2012

kwittken + company CEO Raises $25,000 for Charity and Competes in First Ever NYC Ironman Triathlon

Aaron Kwittken, CEO and Managing Partner of award winning public relations firm kwittken + company worldwide (www.kwitco.com), is a man on a two-fold mission – to complete his first ever full-length Ironman Triathlon on August 11 while raising $25,000 for Center Lane, a program of Westchester Jewish Community Services (WJCS) that serves LGBTQ youth. He has already raised $22,000 to date from friends, family, colleagues and clients and is confident that he will reach his $25,000 goal by race day.

A member of the WJCS Board of Directors since 2004, Kwittken has been training for seven months to prepare for the inaugural Ironman U.S. Championship -- a 140.6-mile race that includes a 2.4-mile swim in the Hudson River; a 112-mile bike ride on the Palisades Parkway in Bergen and Rockland Counties; and a 26.2-mile run beginning in New Jersey and finishing in Riverside Park in Manhattan.

"Competing in a full-length Ironman race has been a life-long 'bucket list' goal of mine, albeit a little crazy," explains Kwittken.

What's not crazy is that he is dedicating his race to raise funds for Center Lane, which is in dire need of financial assistance due to recent cuts in grants and state funding. Westchester's only community center for LGBTQ youth, Center Lane helps reduce the isolation that many of these young people feel by providing an opportunity for socialization, enhanced self-esteem and personal growth in a safe place where they can be themselves without the fear of harassment.

"Center Lane's mission is a cause that needs more understanding, compassion and awareness," he says. "The program provides LGBTQ teens with lifesaving tools that allow them to deal with discrimination and bullying. Hopefully, this scale of effort – The Ironman – will shine the spotlight on this important cause."

Corporate sponsors to date include DJO Global, Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, Astoria FederalSavings, MDC Partners, KBS+, Kwittken + Company, Guardian Life Insurance, eVestment, Applied Predictive Technologies, Tri-Trainer, Readers Digest, Touchstorm, Leros Point-to-Point, Primary Wave Media, Sharp Electronics and PR Newswire.

"I feel fortunate to have my health and be able to compete in this event," he adds. "And I feel blessed to have the encouragement of so many family members, friends and associates. I know it will help me psychologically as I tackle the course on August 11."

To contribute to Kwittken's Ironman efforts for Center Lane, go to www.wjcs.com/ironman.