WILKES-BARRE, Pa., July 11, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Navient employees in Wilkes-Barre stayed up past their bedtimes to support cancer patients during Relay for Life’s Disney-themed, 24-hour “Wish Upon a Cure” fundraiser event, which, in addition to other employee-led initiatives, helped raise more than $9,000 to support Relay for Life of Wyoming Valley. The community-based fundraising organization is a division of the American Cancer Society, dedicated to saving and celebrating lives, and leading the fight for a world without cancer.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3c8e345d-a19a-414e-a8b1-b76e9ec0020b
Held at King’s College athletic fields in Wilkes-Barre, Navient employees collected donations for food and homemade goods and hosted games and other activities at the company’s tent, designed to resemble a Disney castle.
The space included basket raffles created by employees, as well as a water balloon toss and a “dungeon,” where volunteers were chosen by donors and “locked in” for a dollar per minute. The Navient campsite also included an area where cancer survivors could come in and write down their stories to display. Caregivers were encouraged to talk about their experiences helping loved ones battle the disease. Employees also took turns walking around the field’s track throughout the 24-hour period to signify that cancer never sleeps.
“At its heart, the Relay for Life program is grassroots fundraising; a few people coming together to make a team and many teams coming together to make a great event,” said Ryan Schofield, community development manager, American Cancer Society. “Wyoming Valley’s event is truly a great one because of teams like the one from Navient. It’s rare to have a company embrace the event at the corporate level by being a sponsor and having their employees give so much, while also being one of the top teams. Navient was a silver level sponsor and the second leading fundraising group. It was a pleasure and honor to be part of such a great event and the American Cancer Society is very grateful to Navient and all our teams, sponsors and volunteers.”
Employees hosted a variety of other fundraising events throughout the year, including a cupcake and pizza sale and handbag auction during Mother’s Day week. Local businesses were also invited to Navient’s Wilkes-Barre facility for the company’s vendor fair, where they could sell food and other products. Vendors contributed 15 percent of all sales earned towards Relay for Life.
Furthermore, employees raised funds through Navient's popular Jeans BeCause program. The program allows participating employees a "pass" to dress casually for the month in exchange for volunteer donations.
“We’re grateful for the dedication and support of our employees who made all of this possible,” said Lisa Stashik, vice president, Navient. “Relay for Life works tirelessly every day to bring people together to push back against cancer, and on behalf of our team members and their loved ones who have been affected by this disease, we are honored to contribute to the fight.”
Learn more about Relay for Life.
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About Navient
Navient (Nasdaq:NAVI) is a leading provider of asset management and business processing solutions for education, healthcare, and government clients at the federal, state, and local levels. The company helps its clients and millions of Americans achieve financial success through services and support. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, Navient employs team members in western New York, northeastern Pennsylvania, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and other locations. Learn more at navient.com.