STEWARTS SHOPS SUPPORTS AKWESASNE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB "BE GREAT" PROGRAM

Akwesasne, NY, May 19, 2015 – Stewart's Shops, a leading convenience store chain in Northern NY and Southern Vermont, an advocate of charitable giving within local communities, has generously given back with a donation of $500 to support the Akwesasne Boys & Girls Club and their educational support program entitled "BE GREAT 2015."

Stewart's Shops Foundation has been committed to making a positive impact in the areas that they support which includes programs that serve children and their recreational and educational needs. Their donation will contribute to the success of the "BE GREAT" program, which is an incentive program that motivates, inspires, engages and teaches children to do great things! The program has four main goals which includes giving children a sense of power over their own actions and choices, motivating them to do well and challenge themselves every day, giving them an opportunity to practice responsibility and also giving Staff and Volunteers a tool to manage behaviors, encourage participation and create a more positive environment at the Club.

The Akwesasne Boys & Girls Club is a non-profit organization that has been open to community children for the past thirteen (13) years. The Club is overseen by a volunteer group of nine community board members and operated by a dedicated team of caring adults that ensures our mission, "To inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need us the most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring community members". The Akwesasne Boys & Girls Club is the only after-school program in our community which serves children ages 6 to 18 year round. The Boys & Girls Club has adapted over the years to meet the growing needs of community children and their families. The past couple of years has shown us an increase in need for our services. In addition to our after-school programs we also provide daily hot meals and snacks, special hours for when school is closed and for early dismissals, Teen Late Nights every Friday until 10 pm as well as Summer Recreation and Education Programs serving 200 community children ages 6 to 17. In addition, we support families through our High School Equivalency Diploma program.

"We are grateful to Stewart's Shops for giving back to the Akwesasne youth through our "BE Great" Incentive Program," said Jessica Cree Jock, Executive Director, "It's important for children to recognize that they have the power to BE GREAT and we can help them do that with the backing of other community stakeholders such as Stewart's Shops."