Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius Joins Wal-Mart to
Present $700,000 Donation to the University of Kansas to Enhance BGCA’ s
Power Hour Program
Marks largest charitable donation from Wal-Mart to an organization in
Kansas
May 28, 2008 –
Lawrence, Kan. -- Wal-Mart Foundation today announced a $700,000 donation to
the University of Kansas (KU) with an event at the Wal-Mart Store located at
3300 Iowa Street. The donation will be used to create a curriculum that will
enhance Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) proven homework tutorial
program Power Hour.
“We are
honored to make this donation to the University of Kansas to support BGCA’s
free, after-school reading and tutoring programs in more than 4,000
communities across America,” said Kelvin Lynch, Regional General Manager of
Wal-Mart. “This donation will enhance an already powerful program that
enriches the lives and learning experience of young people across the
country.”
This is the largest donation an organization within the state of Kansas has
received from the Wal-Mart Foundation. Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius
participated in the celebration along with Wal-Mart Regional General Manager
Kelvin Lynch, Director of the Center for Research on Learning Don Deshler,
Boys & Girls Clubs of America Regional Director of Development Jenny Lewis
and members from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lawrence.
“This is a significant donation to be made in the state of Kansas. The Power
Hour program ensures that children in Kansas and around the country are
better prepared for their futures,” said Governor Kathleen Sebelius. “On
behalf of Kansas, I want to say thank you to Wal-Mart for this considerable
donation.”
Power Hour
The Power Hour program engages Club staff, volunteers and members in
homework assistance offered during after-school hours for children ages 6 to
18. It is designed to motivate and improve students’ homework skills, and to
encourage them to feel good about their accomplishments. With this donation,
the University of Kansas will create a curriculum to improve the level of
training for Club staff and volunteers, equipping them with the necessary
tutorial skills to help students successfully complete their homework, while
understanding the importance of literacy.
“We are eager to begin putting together the curriculum for such a great
organization with the potential to help so many children,” said Don Deshler,
Director of the Center for Research on Learning and Gene A. Budig Professor
of Special Education at the University of Kansas. “We hope that this will
make a substantial difference in the lives of many children.”
Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s President and CEO Roxanne Spillett
continued, “This generous donation from Wal-Mart is going to help us close
the achievement gap between the haves and have-nots by tackling adolescent
illiteracy. After all, children must learn to read because for the rest of
their lives they must read to learn.”
This donation supports a $1.2 million Wal-Mart Foundation grant given to
Boys & Girls Clubs of America in Atlanta in March. That donation went to the
Power Hour homework tutorial program to help improve adolescent literacy.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
Boys & Girls Clubs of America (www.bgca.org) comprises a national
network of more than 4,000 neighborhood-based facilities, with 4.8 million
youth served through Club membership and community outreach, in all 50
states and on U.S. military bases worldwide. Known as “The Positive Place
for Kids,” the Clubs provide guidance-oriented character development
programs on a daily basis for children 6-18 years old, conducted by a
full-time professional staff. Key Boys & Girls Club programs emphasize
leadership development, education and career exploration, financial
literacy, health and life skills, the arts, sports, fitness and recreation,
and family outreach. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.
About Philanthropy at Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and its foundation are proud to
support the charitable causes that are important to customers and associates
in their own neighborhoods. Through its philanthropic programs and
partnerships, the company supports initiatives focused on enhancing
opportunities in education, job skills training, sustainability, and health
and human services. In 2007, Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and the Wal-Mart
Foundation gave $296 million to communities across the United States. To
learn more, visit
www.walmartstores.com/community.
About
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart discount stores, Supercenters,
Neighborhood Markets and Sam’s Club locations in the United States. The
company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the
United Kingdom. Wal-Mart serves more than 176 million customers weekly in 14
markets. The company’s securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol WMT. For more information:
www.walmartfacts.com.
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