FedEx and JA Worldwide Tee-Up Inaugural "FedEx Junior Business Challenge"

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide are set to launch the FedEx Junior Business Challenge, a program in conjunction with the PGA TOUR to help empower the next generation of entrepreneurs across the country.

The FedEx Junior Business Challenge, an extension of the JA Company Program, will serve as a platform to provide select JA students the opportunity to showcase their business concepts at designated PGA TOUR tournaments this season for a chance to generate a $75,000 donation from FedEx to further support youth entrepreneurship.

At each FedEx Junior Business Challenge event, JA students ranging from 15-18 years old will pitch their team's business concept to a panel of judges consisting of a PGA TOUR player and a variety of successful business leaders.  The panel will evaluate each team's business pitch and select one JA Company from each tournament to move onto the FedEx Junior Business Challenge Finals in September at the TOUR Championship in Atlanta.  The qualified companies will then compete for the chance to earn the $75,000 donation for their local JA chapter on behalf of FedEx.

FedEx Junior Business Challenge Qualifying Events Schedule:

• Shell Houston Open (Humble, Texas) – Wednesday, March 29
• THE PLAYERS Championship (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) – Wednesday, May 10
• Travelers Championship (Hartford, Conn.) – Wednesday, June 21
• World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational (Akron, Ohio) – Wednesday, August 2

Since 1996, FedEx has donated more than $13 million to JA Worldwide in support of small business and the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.  The FedEx Junior Business Challenge is part of the FedEx Cares global giving initiative, in which FedEx is investing $200 million in over 200 global communities by 2020 to create opportunities and deliver solutions for people around the world.

"Small businesses and entrepreneurship are paramount to FedEx.  Our relationship with the PGA TOUR and JA Worldwide provides a unique opportunity to use golf as a platform to support and showcase the next generation of business leaders through the FedEx Junior Business Challenge," said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior vice president of Integrated Marketing Communications for FedEx.  "It will be exciting to witness the creativity and forward thinking that the students present at each event during the PGA TOUR season."

With more than 100 member countries, the JA Worldwide network reaches more than 10 million young people around the world every year.

"The amount of thought, planning and collaboration that JA students put into developing their business concepts is impressive," said Asheesh Advani, CEO, JA Worldwide.  "The FedEx Junior Business Challenge will serve as an opportunity for students to display their entrepreneurial thinking and innovation at PGA TOUR tournaments across the country."

FedEx has been an official sponsor of the PGA TOUR since 2002. In 2007 the FedExCup—a season-long competitive and promotional platform—was introduced, transforming the competitive landscape of the PGA TOUR.  The performance-based point structure culminates with the FedExCup Playoffs, a four-tournament playoff at the end of the season to determine the FedExCup Champion.

"As a preeminent supporter of the PGA TOUR, FedEx has made a significant commitment to support the local communities that host tournaments throughout the year," said Brian Oliver, senior vice president of Sponsorships and Partnerships for the PGA TOUR.  "The FedEx Junior Business Challenge is a great example of this, and is a unique program that we are looking forward to hosting at our tournaments during the 2016-17 PGA TOUR season."

To learn more about the FedExCup, visit PGATOUR.com/FedExCup or follow FedEx on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter via @FedEx.

About FedEx Corp.

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services.  With annual revenues of $58 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand.  Consistently ranked among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 400,000 team members to remain "absolutely, positively" focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities.  To learn more about how FedEx connects people and possibilities around the world, please visit about.fedex.com.

About JA Worldwide

JA Worldwide is one of the largest global NGOs dedicated to addressing fundamental social and economic challenges of young people by educating and empowering them to transform their futures and own their economic success.  Through the delivery of cutting-edge, experiential learning in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship, we effectively broaden the canvas of possibility for young people and enrich their ability to both engage in their own economic development and contribute to the strength of their families, communities, and economies.  With more than 100 member countries, the JA Worldwide network is powered by over 470,000 volunteers and mentors from all sectors of society, reaching more than 10 million young people around the world every year.  For additional information, visit jaworldwide.org.

About PGA TOUR

The PGA TOUR is the leading global platform in professional golf, showcasing the highest expression of excellence, both on and off the course. The PGA TOUR's mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.

The PGA TOUR co-sanctions more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China. Its members represent the world's best players, hailing from 24 countries (86 members are from outside the United States). Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1.1 billion households in 227 countries and territories in 23 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2016, tournaments across all Tours generated a record of more than $166 million for local and national charitable organizations, bringing the all-time total to $2.46 billion.

The PGA TOUR's web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

CONTACT
Jonathan Lyons, FedEx
901.434.4019
[email protected]

Ben Paradossi, Weber Shandwick
314.552.6713
[email protected]

SOURCE FedEx Corp.