COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – America for Gold announced today that Perfect Foods Nutrition (Perfect Foods), a nationwide health and fitness organization, has joined its mission to assist American athletes training for international competition. Perfect Foods agreed to provide financial support, along with both nutritional supplies and organizational awareness, placing America for Gold’s information on its popular “Perfect Foods Bars.”

“Can you imagine having even a part-time job and trying to train at world caliber level?” said Bill Keith, President of Perfect Foods. “I was excited to learn America for Gold had launched this much needed effort to support our athletes. We are behind other countries internationally when it comes to funding American athletes, and as a former college basketball player, I understand what they go through and the support they need in order to succeed.”

Athletes training for the Summer or Winter Games spend from $12,000 to $120,000 annually for costs associated with travel, training and living expenses. Out of all current America for Gold grant applicants, only one made a profit last year, at just $3,000. The rest are in debt. With Perfect Foods on its side, America for Gold hopes to enhance the support it will be able to provide.

“Perfect Foods is providing us with a great opportunity for awareness among their loyal following of customers,” said Kevin Montford, Founder and Executive Director of America for Gold, and one of Perfect Foods’ first clients. “I used to bring boxes of Perfect Foods Bars to my team back when I was a member of the U.S. Naval Pentathlon National Team. I’m glad we are reuniting now in support of our athletes, and I look forward to sharing booths with Bill and Perfect Foods at upcoming sporting events and expos.”

Perfect Foods, a family-run business focused on pure ingredients, has been expanding since it began selling whole food products and concentrates. Its products can now be found in more than 1,000 locations nationwide, and last August, it was featured in Triathlete Magazine. With plans to distribute more than two million Perfect Foods Bars in 2009, a portion of proceeds will be donated to America for Gold.

To learn more about America for Gold or the many ways to help, please visit AmericaForGold.org .

About Perfect Foods Nutrition
Perfect Foods Nutrition is a nationwide health and fitness organization committed to sharing advanced research and dietary concepts for improving mental and physical health. Its purpose is to serve and inform customers about the benefits of “Whole Food Concentrates” and help individuals, families, and communities develop a healthier and better way of life. For more information, visit PerfectFoodsBar.com.

About America for Gold
America for Gold is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that aims to provide financial assistance directly to athletes through need-based grants. The organization is devoted to raising funds and awareness for America’s able-bodied athletes and athletes with disabilities training for both Summer and Winter Games. For more information, visit AmericaforGold.org.

America For Gold is extremely excited to announce winning a free  Emma e-mail marketing account, which will allow us to take our communications to the next level.  Thank you to Emma for supporting non-profits around the country during the Emma 25 contest. It is through organizations like yours that we can help keep philanthropy alive and strong here in the United States and around the world.  We look forward to working with you!

AFG would also like to say thank you to Kidd Group, which continues to go over and beyond anything we could have hoped for to ensure our organization is successful with its mission.  Thank you Kidd Group!!

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – For gold-medal hopefuls like the 2008 U.S. Weightlifting Team’s Carissa Gump, who competed in Beijing this summer, the road to international athletic competition is paved with financial obstacles. While costs are hard to compete with, non-profit organization America for Gold (AFG) wants to take the weight off athletes’ shoulders through need-based grants.

Depending on the sport, a Summer or Winter Games athlete’s costs can range from $12,000 to $120,000 annually for equipment, travel, coaching, nutrition, event fees and transportation. Training at such a level makes it hard for athletes to even hold a part-time job, but Carissa Gump, who began weightlifting at age 12, manages this delicate balance. A student studying business administration at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, she works two jobs and dedicates nearly every spare moment to training.

“You must have excellent time management,” said Gump, an AFG supporter and spokesperson. “Education is very important to me, so I find a way to fit it in with training and working. It has taken me three and a half years to get a two-year degree, because I have so many other responsibilities, but it’s all worth it.”

Founder and Executive Director of America for Gold, Kevin Montford was a member of the U.S. Modern Pentathlon National Team, and he witnessed many athletes encounter financial roadblocks after years of training. Now that his athletic career has come full-circle, he has turned his passion for sports into supporting America’s athletes and helping these role models fulfill their dreams.

“If I want Americans to be aware of anything, it’s that these athletes have trained their entire lives, and most don’t have the means necessary to make it to the Games they’ve been training so hard for,” said Montford. “These athletes don’t stop training once the Games are complete; they are training 365 days a year.”

With summer drawn to a close, Gump now enjoys making appearances and sharing stories and experiences from Beijing, but she is already preparing for the 2012 London Games. Along with Montford, she takes every opportunity to share AFG’s mission with other athletes and potential supporters, adding that success is not achieved alone. She says she is fortunate to have had the support of her husband, family, training group and sponsors, adding that, “the financial support from America for Gold can help take worries out of the long journey to the Games.”

To support AFG, one-time or monthly contributions are accepted. Donations can be made online, by phone at (877) 477-4488 or by U.S. mail. To learn more about America for Gold or the many ways to help, please visit AmericaForGold.org .

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – It is all about the numbers. Ask any athlete competing in Beijing. Whether it is the final score in a tennis match, the winning time in a triathlon or the perfect 10 on the balance beam, the smallest number can separate athletes from the joy of victory and the agony of defeat. There are other numbers in the world of international athletic competition that few of us know about. These numbers reflect the financial costs associated with representing our nation abroad on the field of play.

America for Gold (AFG), a non-profit organization which launched eight days before the start of the Beijing Games, has set out to provide financial support to U.S athletes. Along with its launch, AFG encourages supporters to donate $8 per month, in conjunction with the Games’ 08-08-08 start.

AFG is committed to supporting able-bodied athletes and athletes with disabilities by taking the financial numbers game out of the equation and allowing athletes to focus on preparing to represent our nation in international competition. Developed by athletes for athletes, AFG aims to provide financial assistance directly to athletes through need-based grants for both the Summer and Winter Games.

“As current and former athletes ourselves, we fully appreciate the physical, mental and financial challenges our team faces,” said Kevin Montford, Founder and Executive Director of America for Gold. “Most people don’t realize the incredible expense associated with participating at this level of competition. Our athletes in Beijing have been training for many years, and financial support is needed years before the medals are won. It’s our goal to help carry this burden for them as they prepare to represent our nation abroad.”

Each American athlete training for the Summer Games spends thousands of dollars annually preparing for qualifying trial events long before the opening ceremony in Beijing. Depending on the sport, an athlete’s costs can range from $12,000 to $120,000 annually for equipment, travel, coaching, nutrition needs, event fees and transportation. These expenses, coupled with the fact that most athletes train more than the average person works, make it hard for many to even take a part-time job.

“We are going to apply the same determined focus and energy you will see on the field this summer to helping athletes succeed,” said Montford. “We want to demonstrate our support for American athletes who are not only role models but ambassadors for our country.”

Athletes who receive funding go through a thorough application process with several parameters, including but not limited to sport ranking, good standing within the appropriate governing organizations and an approved income-to-expense ratio. In addition, each athlete that receives funding must “Pay-it-Forward” by signing up at least 25 new donors to the fund. AFG is also actively seeking major corporate funding.

To support AFG, one-time or monthly contributions are accepted. Donations can be made online, by phone at (877) 477-4488 or by U.S. mail. To learn more about America for Gold or to make a donation, please visit AmericaForGold.org.