WASHINGTON — The "JA's BizKid$" show airing on PBS stations this fall was the object of hoopla here and a special $5.2 million check presentation ceremony witnessed by 600 field leaders from Junior Achievement Worldwide to mark CU funding for the financial education show.
"This project is progressing well beyond our wildest dreams," declared John Annaloro, president/CEO of the Washington Credit Union League, who handed over the $5.2 million representing an 18-month CU fundraising project to help pay for the first two seasons of "JA's BizKid$,"
For the JA leadership here attending the July 14 ceremony organized by the league and the National Credit Union Foundation, the $5.2 million underwriting represented "the largest philanthropic gift in its 88 year history." Taking part in the ceremonies here were JA leaders from 60 countries.
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Washington League officials, who have coordinated league and foundation fundraising for JA's BizKid$ since its inception in March 2006, have said they expect some 10 PBS stations, primarily on the East Coast to be first in picking up the syndication.
That should start in October or November with CU linkups and branding in local markets.
There are some 340 PBS stations in the network with a station in Rochester, N.Y. being called the "premier delivering" station to debut the show which has already been piloted in several markets.
Coordinating with PBS have been the Seattle producers who also handled the popular "Bill Nye the Science Guy" show airing for years on PBS.
State credit union foundations and the leagues are working with JA to package curriculum from the TV series that CU volunteers will be able to use to provide multimedia youth financial education in classrooms, said a release from NCUF.
NCUF remains the largest contributor to the JA's BizKid$' underwriting group. NCUF is designating nearly $1
million in both 2007 and 2008 for the show.
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