One man will bike the entire length of the continent of South America in honor of his friend who died on 9/11/01. Another will celebrate his 76th birthday by participating in a triathlon with four of his children. These are just two of the ten individuals who, together with two teams nationwide, were awarded BALANCE BAR Grants in recognition of their passionate pursuit of activities that enrich their lives and help them achieve small victories every day.

BALANCE BAR is proud to announce that the following individuals and teams were awarded grants for the period ending March 15, 2006.

Geoff Hopkins
Geoff Hopkins, age 40 of Springfield, VA was an able-bodied runner until September 1998 when he was injured in a severe motorcycle accident. Despite the accident, his passion and determination to succeed in sports helped Geoff breeze through rehabilitation and get back on the road, training in a wheelchair instead of running shoes. Since then, Geoff has competed in marathons up and down the East Coast as well as throughout the Midwest; he plans to compete in his first triathlon, the Sylvania Triathlon in Sylvania, OH.

Wheelchair racing allows Geoff to achieve small victories in many different ways: physically, Geoff is stronger and more energetic, feeling better about himself with each race; socially, Geoff serves as an inspiration to those who see him race. The grant from BALANCE BAR will be used to purchase new wheels for his racing chair to help increase his racing competitiveness.

Geoff Hopkins: "The generous grant from BALANCE BAR will help enhance both my physical and mental fitness through wheelchair racing and triathlon competitions. It will allow me to upgrade my equipment to that of other elite athletes and one day compete in the Ironman in Kona."

Other Individual Grantees:

--Maureen McMurray, 27-year-old distance runner, Brooklyn, NY: 
competing in the Third International Peace Marathon in Kigali, 
Rwanda


--Larry Hoff, 61-year-old ultra long-distance adventurer, South 
Range, WI: paddling and portaging a canoe 6,200 miles from the 
Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean


--Julia Niles, 26-year-old rock and ice climber, Boulder, CO: 
traveling to Bolivia to put up new climbing routes as well as 
to climb Illimani (the highest mountain in Bolivia) and 70 
degree ice couloirs on Pico del Norte 


--Rebecca Smith, 32-year-old fitness instructor, Rexford, NY: 
renewing her fitness training so she can continue to offer low-
cost weekly classes to her fellow teachers


--Michael Langer, 37-year-old World Police & Fire Games 
contestant, Gurnee, IL: competing in the "Toughest Competitor 
Alive" event in Australia


--Charles McJilton, 75-year-old triathlete, Roseville, MN: 
celebrating his 76th birthday by competing in the Ironman 
Canada triathlon with four of his seven children

 
--Jennifer Pharr, 22-year-old hiker, Charlottesville, VA: 
hiking the Pacific Coast Trail to help raise funds for the 
Habitat for Humanity Women's Build Program 


--Jacqueline Wendegatz, 25-year-old log-roller, Madison, WI: 
competing in several logrolling competitions and attending 
classes to improve her skills


--David Sylvester, 40-year-old cross continent biker, 
Philadelphia, PA: traversing the continent of South 
America by bicycle in tribute of his friend who died on 9/11/01



Team Grantees:
--Team 3 Peaks 3 Weeks, climbers, San Francisco, CA: leading an 
international team of 12 women to become the first all-female 
climbing party to summit three of Africa's tallest peaks in 
less than three weeks


--United States Boomerang Team, Delaware, OH; Chicago, IL; 
White River Junction, VT; Eau Claire, WI; Seattle, WA; Kenmore, 
WA; Nashville, TN: attempting to win back the Boomerang World 
Championship title for Team USA when they travel to Japan to 
compete in the International Boomerang Challenge.

BALANCE BAR Grants
"Through our individual and team grants program, BALANCE BAR recognizes amateur athletes and enthusiasts who are achieving their personal goals and dreams," said Sophia Yang, Senior Associate Brand Manager for BALANCE BAR. "These recipients illustrate a passion to extend themselves beyond their personal limits and embody the ability to achieve small victories each and every day."

The goal of the BALANCE BAR Grants program is to recognize outstanding individuals and teams who demonstrate a passion for the pursuit of their chosen activity, and to provide monetary support so they can focus on pushing past personal limits. Those interested in being considered for a BALANCE BAR Team/Individual Grant or a BALANCE BAR Community Grant should fill out the appropriate application form at www.balance.com. Grant applicants must be 18 years of age or older and legal U.S. citizens. The next entry deadline is 3:00 pm (EST) on August 30, 2006. See the Web site for complete Rules and Regulations and Terms and Conditions.

Balance Bar Company has always been committed to providing proper nutrition for living an active lifestyle. It all started in 1992 when a group of sports enthusiasts looking to fill the growing need for portable nutritional products developed BALANCE BAR. Soon, a group of professional cyclists discovered the product and became avid fans. The company realized there was an opportunity to bring BALANCE BAR and its philosophy of healthy living to the growing health-conscious and mainstream audiences. Today, Balance Bar Company strives to offer great-tasting, nutritious products.