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World-Class Athletes Join Forces to Support the Level Field Fund

Michael Phelps, Daron Rahlves, Seth Wescott, & Lenny Krayzelburg Among Those Supporting Athlete Funding Initiative; Founding Partner OrthoLite to Donate $1 to the Fund for Every Pair of Insoles Sold

Portland, ME (Wednesday, June 16, 2010) – The Ross Powers Foundation today announced the establishment of the Level Field Fund, a grant-giving program that strives to bridge gaps in funding for uniquely talented athletes whose opportunity to pursue excellence in sport would otherwise be limited by their financial situation. Gold medalists from summer and winter sports including Michael Phelps, Daron Rahlves, Seth Wescott and Lenny Krayzelburg have pledged their support to the Level Field Fund, and founding partner, OrthoLite will donate $1 to the Level Field Fund for every pair of OrthoLite insoles sold through retail outlets.

While an athlete’s success is clearly driven by their ability to perform at the highest level, it is also dependent upon financial support. Many athletes with the potential to compete at world-class levels have had to face the challenges of securing funding to cover expenses essential to their continued development. Far too often, resource gaps have proven to be impassible barriers for promising, yet financially challenged athletes.

“Talent, drive and determination are simply not enough for many young athletes; financial support at key stages of development is critical,” said Ross Powers, president of the Ross Powers Foundation and founder of Level Field Fund. “OrthoLite’s commitment to the Level Field Fund combined with the support of Michael (Phelps), Daron (Rahlves), Seth (Wescott) and Lenny (Krayzelburg) is a major step forward in our efforts to help reduce the financial pressures facing far too many talented athletes.”

Individual commitment and costs during entry level stages of participation in a sport are relatively minimal. However, as athletes progress and their potential rises, so too do the related development demands and associated costs for training and competing – including more specialized instruction, equipment, event entry fees and travel. The Level Field Fund is designed to provide qualified funding to uniquely talented athletes at critical stages of their development.

“By combining our efforts with Level Field Fund we can help talented athletes across the country reach their performance potential,” said Pamela Gelsomini, president of OrthoLite. “We are excited that our partnership will benefit so many promising individuals.”

Since its formation in 2001, the Ross Powers Foundation has been providing critical funding to dozens of deserving athletes from across the United States competing in sports ranging from snowboarding to skateboarding, skiing to kayaking, and skeleton to taekwondo. Foundation grant recipients have further advanced their athletic pursuits and achieved success that otherwise would not have been possible in national and international competitions, including representing Team USA in the Olympic Games.

“Determined athletes committed to performing their best shouldn’t be held back due to a financial short coming”, said Rahlves, a three-time Olympian and World Champion. “I’ve seen lots of talent go undeveloped and that’s where Level Field Fund can step in and help. I’m excited to be a part of the Level Field Fund and look forward to helping those in need get to the next level and enjoy success in competition.”

“As competitive athletes, we all share the desire to compete against the best and to think that we are losing talented athletes because of a lack of financial resources is troubling,” added Phelps, a 14-time Olympic gold medalist. “I am a big believer in following your dreams and it is an honor to be a part of the Level Field Fund, a group of athletes helping other athletes pursue their own dreams.”

The need for athlete funding has been well documented and the story of Faye Gulini, the youngest member of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Snowboard Team, is just one example.

“In order to chase my dream of representing my country at the Olympics, I had to transfer all of my focus, hard work, and money into my sport,” recalled Gulini. “I needed to travel to places like Argentina, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, Spain and Italy to compete for my spot on the Olympic team and the cost of it all became way too much. My dad was clean out of money, and if not for the Ross Powers Foundation and its generous grant, I would have never been able to obtain my spot on the U.S. Team.”

Grant applications are available for download at www.levelfieldfund.org; requests submitted through September 15, 2010 will be evaluated for funding this year.

About Level Field Fund: Level Field Fund is a grant-giving program that strives to bridge gaps in funding to uniquely talented athletes whose opportunity to pursue excellence in sport would otherwise be limited by their financial situation. The Level Field Fund was established in 2010 and is a program of the Ross Powers Foundation. For more information, please visit www.levelfieldfund.org.

About OrthoLite: OrthoLite, headquartered in Amherst, MA, is the world’s leading supplier of open cell foam insoles found in more than100 million shoes each year including, Asics, New Balance, Merrell, Nike, Vans, Puma and Timberland. OrthoLite combines polyurethane and recycled rubber to provide superior cushioning, comfort, breathability and durability. OrthoLite was originally founded in 1997 and is a product of O2 Partners LLC. For more information, visit ortholite.com.

Media Contacts:
Level Field Fund: Drew Johnson, 207.775.1500, drew.johnson@octagon.com
OrthoLite: Jenni Geiger, 617.939.8362, jgeiger@coneinc.com

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