Quad City Bank & Trust (QCBT) has announced it again provided Arconic Jr. Bix race registrations to students at Davenport’s Madison Elementary School with a few new twists.
The second annual collaborative effort is led by QCBT in conjunction with the Quad-City Times Bix 7 and United Way Quad Cities. QCBT also again provided running shoes for each graduating fifth grade student. Running Wild, Davenport, is the shoe partner again this year and has individually fitted each child for their shoes.
The shoes were presented at the Madison Elementary graduation ceremony Thursday, May 29, at St. Paul Lutheran Church, just across from the school grounds.
QCBT’s sponsorship will have a few new aspects this year to provide a more inclusive experience for Madison students, staff and faculty. Madison’s end-of-the-year field day, which was on Wednesday, May 28, included a Fun Run with varying distances for the children to run based on grade level.
“We want to make sure there are no barriers for these children to participate. QCBT is committed to a holistic community approach, and this starts with involving the local youth in these large-scale community events,” Laura “Divot” Ekizian, president and CEO of QCBT, said in a news release before the event.
Volunteers from QCBT, headquartered in Bettendorf, joined Bix 7 representatives, local elite runners and representatives from the local running community were on hand to cheer them on and encourage children to adopt the sport of running.
“This is a way we can make sure all students at Madison Elementary School have a chance to participate in this fun run to practice for the actual race in July and have an idea of what it’s all about, all while having fun at their field day, of course,” Bix 7 Race Director Michelle Juehring said in the release. “QCBT’s sponsorship not only provides the opportunity for these kids to register for and participate in this amazing community event that runs right through their backyards when it happens in late July, it also ensures every child at the school begins to feel the excitement of the event.”
In addition to free race registrations for the school children, QCBT’s sponsorship will provide race registrations for staff and faculty at the school to register for the Bix 7 or the Prairie Farms Quick Bix this year. “After spending time at the school and hearing the passion and the struggles of the teachers and staff, we wanted to make sure to include them in the opportunity to participate as well,” said Jill Dubin, QCBT community development and reinvestment act officer. “We want to help them in any way we can and show our appreciation for all the hard work they do. We’re excited to announce the school will also be starting a running club as a result of this donation to inspire healthy habits in these local children.”
The 51st annual running of the Bix 7 will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 26, in downtown Davenport.
Quad City Bank & Trust was founded in 1994 on the idea that relationships matter. Thirty years later, the bank has more than $2.7 billion in assets, providing full-service commercial and consumer banking, correspondent banking, trust and asset management services. Headquartered in Bettendorf, QCBT employs 162 individuals at five branch locations throughout the Quad Cities.
