About Us
The 4U Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Austin Urban, his parents Jon & Kim and brother, Tanner. The foundation’s mission is to raise funds through a variety of events with the goal to provide assistance towards research for Multiple System Atrophy and families affected by the condition; The 4U Foundation also strive to spread awareness of this extremely rare and unknown disease. As of January 2024, the 4U foundation is the host of their flagship event Miles for MSA but is looking to expand into other events like a car show, golf outing and even considering a step into a scholarship fund for business programs at Jon’s alma mater, Marist in Poughkeepsie.
Miles for MSA is a 31-day long event where participants are challenged to run 100 miles or bike 300 miles; some are even daring enough to try both. The event was started in May of 2020, a short time after the Urban’s received the devastating news that Jon had been diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). The event began with Austin completing the challenge alone in the heigh of the COVID-19 pandemic and raising $15,000. In the years since has grown significantly. To date, the event has grown to over 35 participants annually, running and biking thousands of miles across the country and even in Hawaii. In its best year, 2023, Miles for MSA raised over $130,000 and has raised over $300,000 since its first year.
About Jon
Jon Urban is a resident of Poughkeepsie, NY and the wife to Kim Urban and father of two sons, Austin & Tanner. Jon is originally from Stratford, CT where his parents and siblings still live, and left to attend Marist College where he studied finance and ran cross country for the D1 program on a scholarship. Jon graduated in 1983 and began working in a variety of industries before venturing out on his own. For his entire life, Jon has enjoyed skiing, running, golf, sport shooting and many other hobbies. Jon is known by his closest friends as the first one up, the last one to bed, the hardest working in the room and the most generous with his time and resources.
Jon is the proud owner of a variety of different businesses in the golf, restaurant, hospitality, retail and real estate businesses. From humble beginnings, Jon started his first business, a beer retail store, in his late 20’s and has been an entrepreneur ever since.
His businesses have employed over 10,000 different people in the last 40 years and donated over a million dollars in goods and services from his businesses to local non-profit events and organizations like volunteer fire departments, police, veterans, youth clubs and more.