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Students at a Paying for College Bus Tour stop, Reading PA

10th annual Sallie Mae Valley Classic Races raises more than $8,500 for Osterhout Free Library

WILKES-BARRE, Pa., Aug. 19, 2002—The 10th annual Sallie Mae Valley Classic Races, held this weekend in Wilkes-Barre, raised more than $8,500 for the Osterhout Free Library. The Osterhout Free Library provides materials and services to Luzerne County, Pa. residents, enabling them to obtain information, free of charge, for their educational, professional and recreational needs. The Sallie Mae Valley Classic Races are sponsored by The Sallie Mae Fund, the philanthropic arm of Sallie Mae, the country's leading provider of education funding.

Winners in the 10K events share $20,000 in prize money. Pre-registered winners are given the option of receiving a cash prize or having The Sallie Mae Fund donate their winnings to a scholarship fund or to the Osterhout Library. This year's top finishers include:

Matt Byrne (32:10) of Moosic, Pa. and Lisa Vaill (36:55) of Pine Plains, N.Y. finished first among men and women respectively in the 10K Run; Top male and female finishers in the 5K Run were A.J. Suraviez (18:20) of Ashley, Pa. and Maureen Halevinski (20:50) of Moscow, Pa.; Winners of the National 10K Championship Racewalk were Curt Clausen (42:20) of Chula Vista, Calif. and Teresa Vaill (48:43) of Pine Plains, N.Y. The overall 10K racewalk winner was Jefferson Perez (39:59) of Cuenca, Equador; Erik Litt (31:49) of Philadelphia, Pa. and Erin Taylor (30:35) of Elmhurst, N.Y. were top finishers in the 5K judged racewalk.

"Each year there is an incredible sense of competition and this weekend's events were no exception," said Joan Dwyer, director at Sallie Mae's Wilkes-Barre servicing center. "The Sallie Mae Fund is proud to sponsor the Osterhout Library through these races and support its efforts to serve as a valuable information resource for the community."

For more information, contact:
Stephanie Tew
703/810-6810

The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae, achieves its mission—to increase access to a post–secondary education for America's students—by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can. For more information visit www.salliemaefund.org.