Students at Davenport’s Madison Elementary School are getting a running start to join the Arconic Jr. Bix race thanks to the generosity of Quad City Bank & Trust (QCBT).
As part of its 30th anniversary celebration, QCBT is partnering with the Quad-City Times Bix 7 to offer free Jr. Bix registration to all students currently enrolled at Madison and their siblings – aged 12 and younger. The Jr. Bix will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, July 26, in downtown Davenport and kicks off the Bix weekend in the Quad Cities.
In addition, QCBT’s grant will provide each Madison 6th grader with a new pair of running shoes, which they will receive just before the school year ends. The special gift, QCBT said in a news release, will commemorate their completion of elementary school and encourage running in preparation for the race.
Running Wild, Davenport, visited Madison on Wednesday, May 8, to personally fit each child for new shoes. The store’s staff were joined by representatives from QCBT, the Bix 7 and the United Way Quad Cities. These organizations returned Friday, May 10, to Madison for a “Friends & Freezies” event at which they shared race registration information table with families. The shoes will be distributed Thursday, May 30, to the students at their 6th grade graduation ceremony scheduled at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport.
The partnership marks two significant milestones for both QCBT and the Bix 7, which are both celebrating anniversaries in 2024. QCBT celebrated its 30th anniversary on Jan. 7 and the Bix 7 will celebrate the 50th running of the race on Saturday, July 27.
“Providing an opportunity for local children to participate in an event that literally runs through their backyards is so exciting,” Bix 7 Race Director Michelle Juehring said in the release. “With QCBT’s donation, we can expand our reach and help local families to be a part of this event that brings our community together.”
John Anderson, CEO of the locally-owned QCBT, added in the release: “It gives me goosebumps to think of these 6th graders being personally fitted for a brand-new pair of running shoes. This is the kind of support and long-lasting reach we love to provide for our friends in the community. Removing barriers for these young people to be able to experience this exciting race while at the same time helping them to form healthy, lifelong habits; this is how we like to make an impact.”
QCBT has focused its philanthropic efforts toward Madison Elementary throughout the year through a robust partnership with United Way.
“Any time we can focus our efforts and really start to see an impact on students and families from areas with such a need, we’re all in,” said Jill Dubin, QCBT’s community development officer. “From supporting our non-profit partners who work with Madison Elementary to providing new opportunities facilitated by the United Way, we are so happy to make a difference.”
The Jr. Bix initiative has been a collaboration involving Madison’s teachers, parents and administration, QCBT leadership and volunteers, Running Wild, United Way and Bix 7 leadership and staff.
“It truly takes a village,” said Laura “Divot” Ekizian, QCBT’s president and chief relationship officer. “But when the community can come together to wrap their arms around a common cause, you see this type of amazing result.”
