AutoZone has had Girls on the Run’s back since the beginning. 

Chief Audit Executive Joyce Johns reflected on how the pair’s partnership formed as a way for AutoZone to give back to the Memphis community.

“AutoZone really rises to the top,” she said. “We have a very strong muscle for community service.”

She first heard of the program at an AutoZone luncheon, in which the founder of Girls on the Run, Molly Barker, spoke on the benefits of its curriculum.

Barker's visit moved Johns and her fellow employees to support the launch of Girls on the Run Memphis, granting yearly funds for its operations.

Johns said she admires the camaraderie between AutoZone’s employees and Girls on the Run and looks forward to the continued growth of the program.

“Giving back to the community is part of who we are,” she said.