Earlier this month I watched on TV as some of the best athletes in the world competed in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. An event close to home next month has me just as excited.
On September 29 I’ll be in the front row cheering as the nation’s leaders compete in the ACLI Capital Challenge in Washington, D.C.
ACLI is proud once again to host the three-mile road race, which benefits Junior Achievement’s financial literacy program.
Through our support of Junior Achievement, we will teach the next generation of American workers the importance of planning early for retirement. Studies show that increased financial literacy and education can help close the racial wealth gap. ACLI is committed to supporting financial literacy initiatives that will make a vital impact for millions of Americans, and the race helps us highlight the importance of financial literacy to national policymakers.
While I’m on the subject of the tried and true, this will be the 39th time that Washington’s leaders have limbered up for the annual race. Well, mostly annual. The 2020 ACLI Capital Challenge, like the 2020 Olympics, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Back on, this tradition is open to members of Congress and their staffs, the Administration, the judiciary and the local media.
Over the years, the race has featured prominent Washingtonians including Supreme Court Justices, vice presidents, national TV anchors, and even Olympians. We haven’t hosted a president yet, unless you count the time impersonators of Presidents Washington and Lincoln showed up.
In 2019 Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) retained their titles as the fastest members of Congress. Sen. Sinema’s team was the fastest Senate squad, while Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) had the fastest House team.
The ACLI Capital Challenge every year also features a world-class distance runner who serves as the celebrity “whistleblower” to start the race. This year it is 10-mile record holder Keira D’Amato. D’Amato said: “I am very excited to be involved with this year’s ACLI Capital Challenge, which benefits Junior Achievement and its financial literacy program. In today’s complex world, financial literacy and education programs are essential for students.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself!
Making all this possible is the sponsorship of these ACLI member companies who help people nationwide protect their family’s financial future: Aflac, AIG, Boston Mutual, Guardian, Hannover Re, Jackson National, MetLife, New York Life, OneAmerica, Pacific Life, Primerica, Principal, Protective Life, RGA, Transamerica, Unum, USAA, and Western & Southern.
Susan K. Neely was President and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI), the nation’s leading trade association determined to help families live better lives by achieving financial security and certainty. As president and CEO, Neely drove public policy and advocacy on behalf of ACLI’s member companies that represent 93 percent of industry assets and serve 90 million families. She is CEO Emeritus through December, 2024.
