‘Heated Rivalry’ Producers Launch Book’s Irina Foundation In Real Life

As Heated Rivalry fans await the Crave series adaptation’s sophomore season, a page from the Rachel Reid books is coming to life.

On Tuesday, the show’s production banner Accent Aigu Entertainment (AAE) launched a real version of the Irina Foundation, which is the nonprofit started by Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov in the books, named for the latter’s mother.

With an inaugural donation from Kate Spade New York, as well as early support from Harry’s, the Irina Foundation is described as “a private independent fund dedicated to championing inclusivity and mental well-being through participation in sports and the arts, with a focus on LGBTQIA2S+ and underserved communities.”

“Today, we’re proud to introduce the Irina Foundation — a new initiative dedicated to championing inclusivity and mental well-being by creating opportunities for people to connect through sports and the arts,” reads a statement from the organization.

“The Foundation’s name is inspired by the foundation created by Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov in Rachel Reid’s Game Changer series,” they added. “It’s also about turning the sense of belonging we’ve found in this community into something that can create meaningful change in the real world.”

The Irina Foundation’s launch comes after production began on the sophomore season of Jacob Tierney’s Crave Original series adaptation in Canada last month.

Deadline recently reported that Justice Smith, Charlie Gillespie, Daniel Diemer, Shaheen Jafargholi, Emily Hampshire, Edvin Ryding, Robert Naylor, Sabrina Jalees, Priyanka, Brendan Morgan, David Tomlinson, Gerry Dee, Michelle Mylett, Lauren Chan and Nick Stahl have been cast in Season 2, which is set to premiere in spring 2027.