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NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release:
July 28, 2010
CALGARY, ALBERTA, TEENS WIN
2010 NORTH AMERICAN
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT COMPANY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION
Health-focused student company bests 23
other finalist companies to take regional title.
Colorado Springs,
Colo.
— On July 20 in Minneapolis, Junior Achievement selected "Healthy Hands"-
formed by a team of 15 teen entrepreneurs from Calgary, Alberta, Canada - the
winners of the 2010 North American JA Company of the Year Competition. The event
was co-presented by FedEx and Best Buy, with additional sponsorships from HP and
Sam's Club.
Healthy Hands, comprised of Junior Achievement students from Henry Wise Wood
Senior High School, bested 23 other student companies by demonstrating superior
performance and innovation. Healthy Hands took popular hand-sanitizing products
to the next level by packaging the hand sanitizer with soap, an instructional
booklet and a UV-sensitive lotion that revealed dirt left behind on hands washed
with traditional soap. Healthy Hands was able to generate a 734 percent return
on investment for its shareholders, while donating half its net revenue to local
charities.
Second-place honors went to Puré Vita, an Edmonton, Alberta-based Junior
Achievement student company that also produced a hand sanitizer, and targeted
hotels and conferences with their environmentally friendly product. Puré Vita
was able to generate net profits which more than doubled their initial
projections, and donated $3,800 (Canadian) to local charities.
Third place was won by "F.A.B." (Future Associates of Business) from Tulsa,
Oklahoma. They made and sold hair ribbons, and donated 80 percent of their net
profits to The Autism Center of Tulsa.
The annual North American JA Company of the Year Competition is a contest of
business skills, ingenuity and innovation that focuses on the accomplishments of
U.S. and Canadian JA Company Program© students, ages 15-19,
during the 2009-2010 academic year. Currently impacting more than 360,000 young
people a year globally, JA Company Program guides students to start and
run their own business, developing and marketing a product or service with help
of a local business volunteer. Through qualification rounds, finalists
ultimately are selected to showcase their business acumen before a panel of
independent judges who evaluate each student company's annual report, business
presentation, trade booth display and interview performance.
"The North American JA Company of the Year Competition is an exciting
opportunity for Junior Achievement students to demonstrate the teamwork,
leadership and innovative thinking that will help them drive success in the
business world," said Sean C. Rush, president and chief executive officer of JA
Worldwide®. "Through this competition, Junior Achievement and sponsors Best Buy,
FedEx and HP are enhancing the relevancy of education and igniting the spark in
young people to experience and realize the opportunities and realities of work
in a 21st-century global marketplace. As a stakeholder in the future, I am
inspired and reassured by the passion and professionalism demonstrated by these
young entrepreneurs."
About JA Worldwide® (Junior Achievement)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring
and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated
volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school
programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness,
entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 126 individual area operations
reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional
5.7 million students served by operations in 122 other countries worldwide. For
more information, visit www.ja.org.
About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad
portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual
revenues of $35 billion, the company offers integrated business applications
through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively,
under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world's most
admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 280,000 team members
to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and
professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For
more information, visit
news.fedex.com
About Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc is North America's number-one specialty retailer of consumer
electronics, personal computers, entertainment software and appliances. Through
Best Buy Children's Foundation, the company works with nonprofit organizations
to support programs that provide opportunities for youth. The company's goal is
to provide positive experiences that will help young people excel in school,
engage in their communities, and develop leadership skills. Best Buy also
supports national organizations that provide essential social services to
improve the vitality of the communities where its employees and customers live
and work. For more information, visit
www.bestbuy-communityrelations.com.
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