Swim. Bike. Run…and Cast Your Vote
With charitable donations to local nonprofits totaling more than $450,000 to date, fundraising to support community needs has been an integral part of the Santa Barbara Triathlon since its inception. One of the primary benefits of the presenting sponsorship is choosing the event’s official charity beneficiary. Montecito Bank & Trust has made the commitment to be the Triathlon’s 2012 presenting sponsor and is again inviting the public to make the selection by voting online from a short list of eligible nonprofit organizations. Santa Barbara Partners in Education pulled out the stops last year to gain the winning number of votes to become the 2011 Triathlon fundraising beneficiary.
Votes are being collected online at montecito.com/swimbikerun from now until November 30, 2011. The nine nonprofit beneficiary contenders are: Santa Barbara Police Activities League; Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Santa Barbara County; Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County; Transition House; Hospice of Santa Barbara, Inc.; Foodbank of Santa Barbara County; Easy Lift Transportation, Inc.; Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families; and Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. The lucky nonprofit selected will be the beneficiary of all funds raised by the Triathlon’s sponsors, athletes, staff and volunteers in 2012, a goal set at $50,000.
Montecito Bank & Trust is a locally owned community bank founded in 1975. Known for its ongoing support of the community through unique philanthropic programs such as Community Dividends® and Anniversary GrantsSM, the bank has branch offices in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Montecito, Carpinteria, Ventura and Westlake Village, providing a complete range of financial services, including commercial lending and a Wealth Management Division. For a list of branch locations and hours, or for more information about Montecito Bank & Trust, visit montecito.com.
The Santa Barbara Triathlon, one of the oldest triathlon events in the country, attracts more than 2,000 triathletes and thousands of spectators annually. The event weekend includes a long course on Saturday and two shorter sprint course options on Sunday, one of which is for women-only and another for parent and child teams. Varying categories provide a variety of opportunities for participants across a spectrum of ages, abilities and intensity levels. While challenging themselves physically in the Pacific Ocean, along scenic country lanes and ocean side roads, the competitors buffer physical pain with breathtaking sights that include the Carpinteria Flower Fields, the Channel Islands and Santa Barbara’s cliffs and beaches. A beach festival with music, food and entertainment awaits the triathletes as they cross the finish line. The event is open to the public and free to attend. To inquire about competing, volunteering or for more event information visit santabarbaratriathlon.com.
