ACE Cash Express Supports Junior Achievement With $25,000 Donation

DALLAS, Jan. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ACE Cash Express, Inc., a leading retailer of financial services, announced a donation of $25,000 to Junior Achievement in support of its mission to educate and inspire young people to succeed in the global economy.

This donation was made possible through the ACE Community Fund, ACE's corporate giving program that focuses on children, education and financial literacy.  To date, the ACE Community Fund has donated more than $5 million dollars to charitable organizations around the nation.

"ACE continues to grow our relationship with Junior Achievement due to its alignment with our mission and great interest from our associates," said Joe Edwards, ACE Executive and Junior Achievement Board Member.   "Volunteer interest in this program continues to grow each year."

Through this partnership, ACE associates volunteer their time and are able to educate students on the fundamentals of economics and finance with real world applications—lessons they may not learn otherwise.

"Junior Achievement of Dallas is proud of our long-term partnership with ACE Cash Express," said Linda Schoelkopf, President of JA Dallas. "This funding has allowed us to continue our crucial work of ensuring that children – especially those who have historically been underserved – have a strong foundation for success. Thanks to our local ACE Cash Express volunteers, local students will give be given the tools they need to be prepared for the workforce and to make wise financial decisions as they age."

About ACE Cash Express

ACE Cash Express, Inc. is a leading retailer of financial services, including short-term consumer loans, check cashing, bill payment and prepaid debit card services.  ACE is the largest owner and operator of check cashing stores in the United States and the second largest owner and operator of short-term consumer loan stores in the United States.  As of December 31, 2010, ACE had a network of 1,731 stores in 36 states and the District of Columbia, consisting of 1,677 company-owned stores and 54 franchised stores.  ACE focuses on serving consumers, many of whom seek alternatives to traditional banking relationships in order to gain convenient and immediate access to financial services. For additional information about ACE Cash Express, visit www.acecashexpress.com.

About The ACE Community Fund

Established in 2004, the ACE Cash Express Community Fund is the corporate giving program supporting organizations that help children, support education and promote financial literacy, and is focused on giving back to communities where ACE has stores.  Each year, ACE sets aside one percent of the previous year's net profit to support these worthwhile causes through the ACE Community Fund.  Since inception, the ACE Community Fund has donated more than $5 million to charitable organizations throughout the nation.

About Junior Achievement of Dallas

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement of Dallas provides in-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. During the 2009-10 school year, more than 2,900 business volunteers served North Texas elementary, middle and high school classrooms, reaching more than 45,000 students in nearly 2,200 classrooms.  Today, 135 individual Junior Achievement area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional five million students served by operations in 123 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.jadallas.org.

SOURCE ACE Cash Express, Inc.