CHARLOTTE, N.C., July 3, 2017 — Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas (JACC), a premier organization dedicated to educating the state’s youth on financial literacy, entrepreneurship and workforce readiness skills, hosted its inaugural 5K for JA on Saturday, June 24 in Charlotte’s Plaza Midwood neighborhood. The event, presented by Empower Retirement, included both a 5K race and a 1 Mile Fun Run. Charlotte City Councilman, James Mitchell Jr. (District 2) was on hand to officially start the race.

With the help of more than 50 volunteers coordinating the runners and walkers, 226 participants completed either the 5K or 1M race, helping to raise more than $46,000. All proceeds of the event will benefit JACC’s programs, which seek to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy, with an end result of empowering them to own their economic success.

In addition to the presenting sponsor, Empower Retirement, additional race sponsors included: Sunbelt Rentals, Ally Financial, Fidelity Investments, ALGER, Goldleaf Partners, Hartford Funds, Janus Henderson Investors, Oppenheimer Funds and Thornburg Investment Management.

QUOTES:

“In order for JACC and our programs to be successful, we need the support of our local communities to help us prepare this generation’s youth to be the next leaders of our country and our world,” said Sarah Cherne, president and CEO of JACC. “We were overwhelmed with gratitude by the number of people who showed their support by participating in our inaugural 5K for JA, and we look forward to making next year’s race even better.”

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JACC Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/JACenCarolinas

JACC Twitter Page:

https://twitter.com/JACenCarolinas

ABOUT JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF CENTRAL CAROLINAS (JACC):

Junior Achievement (JA) is the world’s largest organization dedicated to providing young people in grades K-12 with the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for the future, and make smart academic and economic choices. Junior Achievement of Central Carolinas (JACC), headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, operates offices in Asheville, North Carolina, and Rock Hill, South Carolina, and serves nearly 45,000 students annually through its experiential educational programs. Delivered by corporate and community volunteers, JA programs provide relevant, engaging experiences that educate and empower students in the areas of financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship. For more information, visit http://www.jacarolinas.org/.

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