.bodytext {float: left; } .floatimg-left-hort { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right: 10px; width:300px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} tr.d0 td { background-color: #ccccff; color: black; }
Junior Achievement of Central Iowa will feature the Stock Market Challenge, an interactive stock-trading game, during a fund-raising event on May 1.

During the virtual stock exchange competition, four-person trading teams from sponsoring businesses will compete to see which team can make the most money with a starting portfolio of $500,000 in trading dollars. Each trading “day” will last just 80 seconds during the fast-paced evening event.

“We’re excited,” said Peter Cownie, president of JA of Central Iowa. “This is the first time (the Stock Market Challenge) has been done in Iowa, let alone in Central Iowa, and we’re really excited that we’ll be able to do it down at our Biz Town.” Each year about 4,500 Iowa fifth- and sixth-graders visit the Richard O. Jacobson JA Biz Town, located inside JA’s headquarters at 6100 Grand Ave.

Fun-Raiser Inc., a Toronto, Ontario, company that created the game in 1999, has helped nonprofits across the United States raise nearly $3 million since the game’s inception. The company charges organizations $7,500, plus travel expenses, to set up and operate the software simulation.

Knapp Properties Inc. has signed on as the lead sponsor for the event, and 17 other Central Iowa companies have purchased sponsorships so far. Organizations that buy a $2,500 table at the event get their company’s name on the trading board and can field a team of traders to play the game.

Cownie said he hopes JA will be able to raise at least $70,000 from the event. Next year it expects to add up to 3,500 more students to the 19,000 it currently reaches in Central Iowa. For more information or to sponsor a table, contact Junior Achievement of Central Iowa at 279-9602.