Waterton Hosts American Lung Association’s Chicago Fight for Air Climb, Raising Over $502,000
CHICAGO (March 21, 2018) — The American Lung Association in Greater Chicago, together with site sponsor Waterton, today announced the 2018 Fight for Air Climb at Presidential Towers exceeded its fundraising goal by raising approximately $502,000, bringing the total to more than $3.6 million raised since the first stair climb at the West Loop rental community in 2008.
The Fight for Air Climb, presented by UnitedHealthcare, was held on Sunday, March 11, with proceeds benefitting the association’s research, education and advocacy efforts. The Presidential Towers climb is one of the highest-grossing Fight for Air events in the country. Approximately 1,600 fitness buffs, lung disease survivors and others affected by the illness took part in the event — the largest of its kind in Chicago — during which participants climb 2,340 steps across four towers, a distance of about 0.30 miles. Among the climbers were representatives from both the American Lung Association and Waterton, the owner and operator of Presidential Towers.
“Each year, we look forward to opening our doors to the Fight for Air Climb and supporting the American Lung Association’s efforts to treat and prevent lung disease,” said David Schwartz, co-founder and CEO of Waterton. “This event is truly a team effort and, through our own participation, reflects Waterton’s commitment to health and wellness at both the corporate level and within the properties we manage, including Presidential Towers, Chicago’s largest smoke-free rental community.”
More than 70 Waterton associates participated in the event as climbers and volunteers. The Chicago-based real estate company also continued its tradition of contributing additional funds. Other participants included almost 100 local first responders (police and firefighters representing seven firehouses) who scaled the towers wearing 70 pounds of gear or weighted vests as part of the “Firefighter Challenge.”
“We are proud to celebrate the completion of another incredibly impactful Fight For Air Climb at Presidential Towers, and look forward to another decade of inspiring climbers to work together to save lives in a vertical road race like no other,” said Kristen Young, executive director of the American Lung Association in Greater Chicago. “I’d like to personally thank the wonderful Chicago community that truly ‘stepped up’ this year, allowing us to contribute 90 cents of every dollar raised to educational training and funding research.”
Presidential Towers completed a transition to a 100-percent smoke-free community in 2015. With 2,346 apartments, it is the largest rental community in Chicago to prohibit smoking in all residences and common areas. Waterton’s decision to add a no-smoking clause to all new leases at Presidential Towers, as well as the company’s ongoing support of the Fight for Air Climb, earned it an Impact Award from the American Lung Association in Greater Chicago in 2014.
For more information on the Fight for Air Climb and American Lung Association, visit www.lung.org.
About Waterton:
Waterton is a real estate investor and operator with a focus on U.S. multifamily and hospitality properties. Founded in 1995, Waterton executes value-add strategies and manages a national portfolio of multifamily and hospitality properties on behalf of institutional investors, family offices and financial institutions. Waterton is privately held and is headquartered in Chicago with regional teams throughout the United States. As of September 30, 2017, Waterton’s portfolio includes approximately $3.4 billion in real estate assets, including 38 multifamily investments totaling approximately 12,600 units and 10 hotels with more than 2,700 rooms. Visit Waterton’s website: www.waterton.com.