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

24th annual Sallie Mae 10K raises more than $281,000 for DC College Access Program

Mayor Adrian Fenty joined more than 2,000 participants to help send local students to college

WASHINGTON, D.C., (May 7, 2007)—Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and more than 2,000 participants and volunteers helped D.C. public high school students come closer to achieving their dreams of higher education at the 24th annual Sallie Mae 10K held Sunday, May 6 in West Potomac Park.

Sponsored by The Sallie Mae Fund, the Sallie Mae 10K benefits the DC College Access Program (DC-CAP), a local non-profit organization that helps D.C. public high school students gain access to higher education through assistance in planning and preparing for college, as well as by providing “last-dollar” scholarships.

The 6.2-mile foot race drew a competitive field of local and international runners, including Mayor Fenty, with a time of 43:34. The top male and female finishers from this year’s race were David Chepkwony from Chapel Hill, N.C., with a time of 29:56, and Tatiana Chulakh from Gaithersburg, Md., with a time of 34:08.

As a result of the race, The Sallie Mae Fund donated $281,000 in sponsorships, grants and race proceeds to DC-CAP. Since 2000, The Sallie Mae Fund has raised nearly $1.6 million for this worthy organization. Top sponsors from this year’s race included Barclays, Cognizant, Computer Associates, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and TD Securities, each with contributions of $10,000 or more.

In addition to the awards for race winners, this year The Sallie Mae Fund awarded five, $1,000 scholarships to student participants: Shayna Baggatts-Porter (Banneker High School), Reme Bias (Ballou High School), Kendra Avery (Ballou High School), Jun Mo Wang (Banneker High School), and Dafina Edwards (Howard University).

“DC-CAP appreciates all the support from The Sallie Mae Fund, Mayor Adrian Fenty and everyone who participated in the race. The Sallie Mae Fund’s longstanding commitment of helping local students gain higher education has been unmatched over the years,” said Argelia Rodriguez, president and CEO, DC-CAP. “The proceeds from this year’s race will make a direct and substantial impact on the number of under-served students we see enrolling in college.”

By providing counseling and financial aid assistance for thousands of students who might otherwise never have the chance to attend college, DC-CAP gives them a realistic opportunity. When DC-CAP was established in 1999, less than 55 percent of the D.C. public high school freshmen went on to earn a high school diploma, and the number of students who pursued any type of post-secondary education was only one third of that. As of 2006, 64 percent of D.C. public high school students are enrolling in college.

“We are proud to be in our 24th year of serving the community through the Sallie Mae 10K,” said Kathleen deLaski, president, The Sallie Mae Fund. “A college education is one of the best investments anyone can ever make, and we are pleased that this year's race proceeds will allow DC-CAP to make the dream of going to college a reality for more Washington, D.C. students.”

The Sallie Mae Fund is a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae. The Fund 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.

To view more race results and photographs from the 24th annual Sallie Mae 10K, visit www.salliemae10k.org or http://www.runwashington.com/results/searchable.html