News Release

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March, 2007
CONTACT: 
Pam Hurley, Kellogg Foundation
269.969.2142

Jackie Joyner-Kersee
To Headline Prayer Breakfast

Running Life’s Race with Faith
and Grace is Theme of Event

Battle Creek, Mich. –

Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee is the keynote speaker for this year’s 26th Annual Community Prayer Breakfast on May 8, 2007. Joyner-Kersee will talk about how her faith helped her overcome many adversities and eventually earn the title of “World’s Fastest Woman.” The theme of this year’s Prayer Breakfast is “Running Life’s Race with Faith and Grace.”

The 26th Annual Community Prayer Breakfast will be held Tuesday, May 8, 2007 from 7:25 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek. Breakfast tickets are $10 per person and may be purchased by calling 269.969.2120.

“We are excited to have Jackie Joyner-Kersee as our guest speaker this year. Jackie is a world-class athlete as well as a world-class human being,” said Stephanie Stewart, who, along with her husband Erick Stewart, co-chairs this year’s event. “Since being named co-chairs of the Prayer Breakfast, we have given much consideration to who should be invited to speak. We think Jackie will inspire everyone she meets and encourage us all to continue meeting life’s challenges with faith and grace.”

Jackie Joyner-Kersee was born Jacqueline Joyner on March 3, 1962 in East St. Louis, Illinois. Joyner-Kersee attended UCLA, where she starred in both track and basketball. One of the greatest female athletes in history, she won a silver medal in the heptathlon in the 1984 Olympics and gold medals in the 1988 and 1992 Games. She also won a gold medal in the long jump in 1988 and a bronze at the 1992 Olympics. Joyner-Kersee is the heptathlon world record-holder and American record-holder in the long jump.

Sports Illustrated for Women voted Joyner-Kersee “Female Athlete of the 20th Century” and ESPN named her one of the “50 Greatest Athletes.” She received these honors by becoming the first woman to win back-to-back gold medals in the seven-disciplined event heptathlon, the first woman to score 7,000 points in the heptathlon and the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in the long jump.

In her hometown of East St. Louis, Illinois, Joyner-Kersee proudly opened the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in 2000. Under Joyner-Kersee’s leadership, the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation has raised more than $12 million to build a safe haven for young people to learn, play and contribute back to their community. The JJK Center offers a variety of educational and recreational activities for thousands of youth and adults, including after-school tutoring, youth sports leagues, nutrition and health education, fitness and meals for seniors, as well as other important community related programs.

The author of two books, A Woman’s Place is Everywhere and her autobiography, A Kind of Grace, Joyner-Kersee is continuously working to involve more corporations, sponsors and community groups in advancing the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation’s programs and initiatives worldwide. 

“Jackie works hard to improve the lives of residents in metropolitan St. Louis and around the world,” said Erick Stewart, co-chair of the Prayer Breakfast. “We can learn from Jackie and use her wisdom to help us build a better Battle Creek.”

Since its beginning in 1982 by Dr. Russell Mawby and Dr. Paul Gieser, the Community Prayer Breakfast has encouraged all participants to speak and pray in a way that is true to their personal beliefs.  It is asked that those attending use this opportunity to listen to individuals whose beliefs might be different from their own to gain understanding and an appreciation of the participant’s faith.

Every year, the Prayer Breakfast is organized by volunteers who are dedicated to bringing the community together in a shared demonstration of faith. It provides an opportunity for the community to draw closer to God and to each other. Approximately 1,200 people attend the Prayer Breakfast every year, including more than 300 youth.

While the ticket cost has remained at $10 per person for the entire 26 years of the Prayer Breakfast, the actual cost per person has nearly doubled.  Those wishing to make a tax-deductible contribution to help underwrite the event costs and pay for area high school students to attend at no cost, may send a check payable to BCCF/Community Prayer Breakfast to:  The Community Prayer Breakfast, PO Box 4363, Battle Creek, MI  49016-4363. Those who donate $200 or more will receive two tickets to a reception in honor of Jackie Joyner-Kersee at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation the evening prior to the breakfast.

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