If I’ve learned anything during my 30+ years working in the nation’s capital, it’s that Washington’s leaders are ultra-competitive – and I don’t just mean at the ballot box.
Six months from now, our nation’s leaders will be running and competing again – this time in a road race.
Next May for the 43rd time, participants from the three branches of the federal government and the Washington press corps will compete in the ACLI Capital Challenge road race. This three-mile event in Washington D.C. benefits Junior Achievement USA and its financial education and literacy programs for students across the nation. Last year’s race raised $200,000 for Junior Achievement.
The life insurance industry’s partnership with Junior Achievement extends beyond our race. Throughout the year, ACLI member companies support local JA chapters across the nation. And ACLI hosts Zoom calls where members of Congress discuss the importance of financial education with Junior Achievement students from their home districts. Life insurers strongly support financial education, which has been proven to reduce financial inequality in the United States.
Last May, more than 670 runners and walkers braved a light rain for the ACLI Capital Challenge. Competing for the first time, Representative Greg Casar was the fastest male member of Congress. Retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was the fastest female member of Congress for the ninth time.
Other notable participants included Sen. Mike Braun, who earlier this month was elected as Indiana’s next Governor. Reps. Chrissy Houlahan, Mike Levin, Chris Pappas, Josh Gottheimer and Greg Stanton also participated, as did several prominent members of the executive and judiciary branches and the Washington media.
We look forward to seeing many of them next May along with other returning and first-time Capital Challenge participants. The competition will be fierce, and the fastest runners and teams will win trophies. But the real winners will be Junior Achievement, which serves more than 4.6 million students in all 50 states.
For more information about the race, go to capitalchallenge.com.
David Chavern is President and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) whose mission is to provide financial certainty to Americans regardless of where and how they work, their life stage, or the economic status of their household. ACLI’s 275 member companies represent 93 percent of industry assets and provide financial security products and services to 90 million families.
