Julie Crockford of Emerald Necklace Conservancy on left, Asa Fanelli of Horizons for Homeless Children on right at the 2011 J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Boston.

BOSTON, June 24, 2012 — The sold-out crowd of 12,000 entrants from 629 companies at the 29th annual J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Boston will be putting forth 3.5-miles of effort for the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and Horizons for Homeless Children.

The two not-for-profit organizations will be returning for a second year as the beneficiaries for the largest road race held entirely within the Boston city limits. The race is scheduled for Thursday, July 12 with a 7:15 p.m. race start.

The JPMorgan Chase Foundation, in honor of all Corporate Challenge participants, will make a donation to both organizations. Charitable giving is an important component of the Corporate Challenge Series, with the JPMorgan Chase Foundation donating more than $1.3M at Series events in 2011 and 2012.

Emerald Necklace Conservancy
Modeled after New York’s Central Park Conservancy and Prospect Park Alliance, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy was incorporated in 1998 to protect, restore, maintain and promote the landscape, waterways and parkways of the Emerald Necklace park system as special places for people to visit and enjoy.

Designed by the father of American Landscape Architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, the Emerald Necklace features the Back Bay Fens, Riverway, Olmsted Park, Jamaica Park, Arnold Arboretum, and Franklin Park. A non-profit public-private partnership, the Conservancy is the only organization that brings together the Necklace’s residential neighbors, community and business leaders, park advocates, and national and local government officials to work for the renewal of this historic park system and the long-term preservation of its green and open spaces, waterways and unique structures.

“Funding from the JPMorgan Corporate Challenge will be used to support our Emerald Necklace Youth Leadership Program and Green Team,” said Julie Crockford, President of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy. “This program employs up to 50 urban youth who get their hands dirty working on restoration projects in their backyard parks and learn environmental stewardship and leadership skills. We are proud of the impact this next generation of Park Stewards is already having on the Emerald Necklace in Brookline and the City of Boston.”

Horizons for Homeless Children 
Horizons for Homeless Children improves the lives of young children who experience homelessness and helps their families to succeed. The organization provides high quality early education and opportunities for play; comprehensive family support services; advocacy on behalf of young children experiencing homelessness; and training and technical assistance for other providers with similar objectives.

With the support provided through the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge, Horizons for Homeless Children will provide quality early education and care to 300 young children annually in Boston who experienced the trauma of homelessness, and opportunities for play and healthy development to more than 2,000 young children in family shelters across the state.