East St. Louis -It’s the only time of year when people put on their ball gowns and lace up their tennis shoes for a good cause. The 7th Annual Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation Sequins, Suits and Sneakers Gala will take place on October 24. This year, for the first time ever, the event will be held at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis.
“In the past, we’ve held this event at several beautiful, upscale locations in St. Louis, but our dream has always been to eventually hold this Gala at the JJK Center so people can see, first hand, the important work we do here,” said Joyner-Kersee, CEO and Founder of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation. “It’s hard for people to wrap their minds around the fact that our center sits on 44 acres of ground, has 66,000 square feet of building space, three football fields, two baseball fields, eight classrooms, and new greenhouse space. We’re very proud of all we’ve been able to offer and accomplish for kids and families in this community.”
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The annual gala benefits the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation and all of the youth programs the center supports. The Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center impacts more than 3,000 kids and families each year through its after-school academic program, summer camp, adult fitness activities as well as kids’ extracurricular activities. All kids who attend the JJK Center also learn Jackie’s own, “Winning in Life™” curriculum, which is a leadership and character education program developed by Joyner-Kersee herself.
This year’s Sequins, Suits and Sneakers Gala will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center located at 101 Jackie Joyner Kersee Circle, East St Louis, Illinois, 62204. For more information about tickets or sponsorship opportunities, go to jjkfoundation.org/gala/ or call Brittany Holden-Smith at 314-655-8037.
