The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program Kicks Off for the Sixth Year

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Foot Locker Foundation, the charitable arm of Foot Locker, Inc., today announced the launch of its 2016-2017 Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program. The Program, now in its sixth year, awards $20,000 college scholarships to outstanding student athletes who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and strong leadership skills in sports, school and within their communities. In addition, one of the twenty students selected will be awarded the Ken. C. Hicks Scholarship, and receive an additional $5,000 for demonstrating superior academic achievement, outstanding leadership and a true love of the game.  

"The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program has become an important educational resource for deserving students across the country to attain a college degree," shares Richard A. Johnson, Chairman & CEO, Foot Locker, Inc. "Our mission is to celebrate dynamic students who are intelligent, driven and passionate leaders within their communities— students like 2015/2016 Foot Locker Scholarship Recipient Bailey Schott."

Bailey Schott is an impressive scholar athlete from Danville, New Hampshire. He is a leader on his school's basketball team and an active leader in his community. One of Bailey's greatest accomplishments is founding a local chapter of the organization called Project HOPE.  The mission of this organization, which supports cancer research and people battling the disease, is very personal for him given his family's own experience with the devastating disease. To be able to turn his own difficult experiences into a positive force has been crucial to Bailey's development as a leader. These insights deepened his commitment to helping others and giving back to his community. Bailey proves that great athletes step up and lead in times of pressure both on and off the court—a trait that epitomizes the true essence of the Foot Locker Scholar Athletes program.

For so many high school students, ever-growing tuition costs make going to college seem impossible, but for Bailey, a college education is now possible. The Foot Locker Foundation scholarships seek to empower young adults who successfully take the skills they cultivate in their team locker rooms and apply them to their classrooms and communities.

This year's winners will join the program's five previous classes of Foot Locker Scholar Athletes, which will result in 120 total scholarship recipients over the five years since the program's inception in 2011. As of 2017, Foot Locker Inc. will have invested over $2 million in the education and future of some of America's most promising scholar-athletes.

Applicants must be college-bound in the Fall of 2017, be an active participant in a sports-related activity, and maintain at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA.  Participants will be required to submit two essays and one recommendation to be considered for the scholarship.  Students can apply online or be nominated by teachers, coaches, mentors, family and friends by visiting footlockerscholarathletes.com. Applications close on December 16, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. (EST).

The Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program is a key initiative of the Foot Locker Foundation, which provides monetary support for educational and sports programs across the country. Supporting this all-star program is Fastweb, a trusted scholarship and financial aid resource used by students to help find opportunities to pay for school.

About Foot Locker Foundation, Inc.:   
Foot Locker Foundation, Inc. is the charitable arm of Foot Locker, Inc., a specialty athletic retailer that operates approximately 3,400 stores in 23 countries in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Over the past 15 years, The Foundation has developed meaningful partnerships and programs to improve and enrich the educational opportunities for children across the country.

About Fastweb: 
Fastweb, a top site in the Monster Worldwide (NYSE: MWW) network, is the nation's recognized leader in helping students pay for school, by providing scholarship and financial aid information, as well as information on jobs and internships. As the oldest and most popular free online scholarship matching service, the database has more than 1.5 million scholarships totaling over $3.4 billion. To learn more about Fastweb, visit http://www.fastweb.com.

About TMI: 
TMI is a strategy consultancy that helps clients drive social change through insights and creative solutions backed by data. Fueled by DoSomething.org's proprietary data from millions of young people involved in hundreds of cause initiatives, TMI uncovers what motivates young people to connect with companies and causes they care about. For more information, visit TMIstrategy.org.

SOURCE Foot Locker Foundation, Inc.

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