FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Please join us on June 4 at 7 a.m. for the Springhill Medical Center Grandman Triathlon to benefit Mobile Baykeeper, The Baldwin County Trailblazers, the Gulf Coast Area Triathletes and Camp Rap-A-Hope. This event takes place in scenic Fairhope and begins with a 1/3 miles swim straight out into Mobile Bay and back beside the Fairhope Municipal Pier.

After the swim comes an 18 mile bike ride which begins with one steep hill and five miles of rolling countryside and continues throughout Fairhope. The race to the finish line begins with a 3.1 mile run along Mobile Bay. This swim-bike-run is a great way to spend a Saturday while benefiting four worthy local not-for-profit organizations:

o Camp Rap-A-Hope, a summer camp which develops new skills and self- confidence for children and teens diagnosed with or battling cancer.

o The Baldwin County Trailblazers, an organization responsible for providing a system of hiking and biking trails stretching from Battleship USS Alabama to Mullet Point Park, five miles south of the Grand Hotel.

o The Gulf Coast Area Triathletes, an organization working to support and promote the sport of triathlon in the Mobile/Baldwin County area.

o Mobile Baykeeper provides citizens a means to protect the beauty, health and heritage of the Mobile Bay Watershed, Alabama’s waterways and coastal communities. The organization works on issues affecting our water and air quality, including the BP Oil Disaster in the Gulf.

The race begins at 7:00 am with the last wave finishing at approximately 9:15 a.m. Residents in the area should watch for bicyclists between 7:15 and 8:45 along the bike course. Fairhope City police officers will be directing traffic at busy intersections, and we’ll have plenty of volunteers stationed along the route to help keep everything moving smoothly.

We invite you to become part of The 2011 Grandman Triathlon as a racer, sponsor or volunteer. For more information, please visit the Grandman website at www.thegrandman.com. Race prices increase as of April 1, 2011 so register today! In addition to racers, The Grandman requires over 100 volunteers are needed to keep things running smoothly, so we invite you to come out and join the fun. For more information, please contact the Mobile Baykeeper office at 251-433-4229.