Staten Island, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/25/2013 --When Rye teenagers Dillion Kelly (17), Pat Currian (16) and Jack O’Brien (17) compete in the JWT Rye Triathlon this weekend, they will team up with Tibetan amputee teenager Ngawang Tseten (16) to raise funds for the US-based global charity, the Global Medical Relief Fund for Children (GMRF).

These teens first met four years ago at a Resurrection Church carnival fund raiser in Rye and became friends. This weekend, they will team up to raise funds for GMRF to benefit their friend Ngawang and dozens of other children from the USA and more than 20 other countries who have been helped since 1997 by GMRF, which continues to aid children who are victims of war, disasters, serious illness, accidents and disasters, and who have no other resources for medical care at home.

Two years ago, young Ngawang lost both arms up to the elbow at age 14 as the result of severe electrocution burns in a Tibetan refugee camp, where he had lived his entire life. With no medical or financial means, his family was desperate for help. His local school director had seen a “60 Minutes” TV report about the Global Medical Relief Fund and contacted its Staten Island, NY-based American founder and director, Elissa Montanti and asked for help for Ngawang. True to its mission, GMRF said “yes” and used donor funds to fly the teenager and his mother to the US, where he has been cared for and received extensive medical treatments, surgeries and rehabilitation, and just recently, two new electronic prosthetic arms.

In the Rye Triathlon fundraising event for Global Medical Relief Fund, Ngawang Tseten, accompanied by Rye teenager Jack O’Brien, will run the final six miles of the race (together), while Dillion Kelly will swim one mile and Pat Curran will bike ride 25 miles to complete the competition as a team.

Describing their team fundraising effort to help the Global Medial Relief Fund to continue to help severely injured, innocent children such as Ngawang and others, “It just seems like the right thing to do,” said Pat Curran. Dillion Kelly said, “Kids like Ngawang have really opened our minds to what goes on in the rest of the world.” And, Jack O’Brien said, “Ngawang and other kids from Global Medical Relief Fund have come to stay at our house, so now we know them and it just seems like the only right thing to do. You have to help.”

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Who: Rye Teens Will Team Up with Tibetan Amputee Boy for Fundraising
What: Jarden Westchester Kids and Olympic Triathlon Races (JWT) event
When: September 28-29, 2013
Where: Rye, New York
Why: To Raise Money for the charity Global Medical Relief Fund for Children
How: Each competing teen will have sponsors who donate