Belk Bands Together with Communities In Schools of Wake and Durham to Celebrate Education

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Communities In Schools of Wake County

Apr 29, 2014, 07:00 ET

RALEIGH, N.C., April 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Band Together is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit that raises money and awareness for nonprofits. Since 2001, the organization has raised over $3 M for 13 nonprofits in the Triangle. Every year, Band Together selects a different nonprofit partner. This year's partners are Communities In Schools of Wake County (CIS Wake) and Communities In Schools of Durham (CIS Durham). The Band Together goal for this year is $1 M to support the Graduation Coach program of both organizations, which seek to reduce the drop-out rate in the Wake County and Durham Public Schools.

Belk and CIS Wake to raise money to support Graduation Coaches (PRNewsFoto/CIS of Wake County)

On Saturday, May 3 from 6 am to 10 am, Belk will continue its tradition of supporting education by hosting Charity Day. Supporters who purchase a $5 ticket off the www.ciswake.org website can receive more than 50% off on select items at the Crabtree store with the cost of the ticket price also deducted from the first purchase. Proceeds from CIS Belk Charity ticket sales will be donated to the Graduation Coach campaign.

Charity Day precedes the Main Event on the night of May 3 -- a concert performance by legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Hall & Oates at the Walnut Creek Amphitheater (7 pm).

"We are excited to partner with Band Together," says Karen Greager, RVP Raleigh Market, Belk. "We have teamed up with CIS Wake over the past several years to salute the outstanding educators in the Triangle. This is a special week for the region as we all band together to celebrate the education of our students who are future leaders of tomorrow."

Last year, CIS Wake and CIS Durham seniors served by Graduation Coaches achieved a 92% and 93% graduation rate, respectively. In 2011, a national research study ranked the CIS Graduation Coach model as the most effective program in the U.S. at both reducing the dropout rate and increasing the graduation rate.

"Belk has been a tremendous partner in our efforts to show appreciation for our teachers in the Triangle over the past several years," says Travis E. Mitchell, President, Communities In Schools of Wake County. "We are grateful for the opportunity to extend this special shopping event to educators and the community at large that will result in raising money and awareness for our Graduation Coach program."

For more information go to www.ciswake.org or call 919-834-5663.

About Belk, Inc.
Charlotte, NC based Belk, Inc. (www.belk.com) is the nation's largest privately owned mainline department store company with 303 Belk stores located in 16 southern states.

Video - http://youtu.be/Q292vM3Kx4o
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140429/81524

SOURCE Communities In Schools of Wake County