Ameren Illinois has gifted $130,000 to the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation and its Winning In Life Initiative.
The JJK Foundation serves approximately 180 students in Pre-K through 12th grade throughout the year. After-school programs offer reading specialists and STEM activities, and athletic opportunities help children build team camaraderie and leadership skills.
For more than a decade, recently retired Ameren Illinois Chair and President Richard Mark worked with JJK and her Foundation. He was surprised and honored to learn on July 28 that the JJK Center gymnasium will carry his name.
[Richard Mark’s] impact on the Foundation and countless youth from the East St. Louis region will live on in the future. His leadership and Ameren Illinois partnership have meant so much to me and our Foundation,” said Joyner-Kersee.
“This is a special day. I recall talking with Richard at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the JJK Center years ago and seeing how excited he was for this facility and what it would do for our city. Naming our gymnasium in his honor is the perfect way to recognize decades of corporate citizenship.”
Mark said he is “a strong believer that passionate leaders don’t sit on the sidelines.”
“The growth, education and development of young people is vital for our future. By investing in the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, Ameren is helping to build a stronger community.
“The additional resources we are providing today will truly make a difference in the lives of kids of growing up in East St. Louis and the surrounding region. I am humbled by the gym dedication and confident Ameren Illinois legacy of support for the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center will live on for years to come.”
Marty Lyons, Ameren president and CEO, said the gymnasium honor “is a wonderful tribute to Richard and the longtime partnership he and Ameren Illinois have with the Foundation and the East St. Louis community.”
“I know this contribution will continue Jackie’s commitment to help youth compete to win, not just in athletics, but in life.”
