Junior Achievement of Western New York has raised $126,118 through the 36th annual JA Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser.

A total of 1,132 individuals, representing 50 local companies, raised money for Junior Achievement’s financial literacy, entrepreneurship and career and work readiness programs, taught by volunteers in Western New York schools. Bank of America has been the title sponsor of the JA Bowl-A-Thon for the past 35 years.

“Bank of America is committed to supporting young adults in Western New York by providing them with the skills, resources and experiences they need to succeed,” said Laura Dolan, Buffalo market manager for Bank of America.

“Programs like Junior Achievement are crucial to the education of young people, and it’s an honor to return as the Title Sponsor of the JA Bowl-A-Thon for the 35th year. Thank you to JA for your partnership and for providing Bank of America with meaningful opportunities to share financial literacy and economic education skills that will help students succeed in future endeavors.”

The top five fundraising companies announced were: Tops Friendly Markets, with $18,188, led by coordinators Joanne Probst and Lauren Smith; Independent Health, with $15,482, led by coordinators Mary Maisano and Victoria Saupp; National Fuel, with $9,334, led by coordinators Alex Lent; Lawley, with $5,398, led by Beth Bauman; and KeyBank, with $5,105, led by coordinators Gail Lattimore and Nancy Schutte.

The top new fundraising company, with $1,420 raised, is Community Bank, led by Lisa Allenson.

The most improved fundraising company is Independent Health.

Laura Dolan of Bank of American revealed the top corporate results via video post with JA students, Nevada and Tyler of Hamburg High School’s Academy of Finance.

The event, initially planned for March, was held as a virtual event due to COVID-19.

The JA Bowl-A-Thon represents one-quarter of the organization’s total budget.