DONATIONS

<p>Riverside County’s Credit Union, Calif., auto brokerage service Auto Expert has donated $3,750 to the Riverside County Chapter of the American Red Cross. During a one-day event $50 was donated to the Red Cross for each car sold. A total of 75 cars were sold to members. Credit Union ONE, Ferndale, Mich., has helped raise $6,000 during the WOMC/CU ONE Radiothon to benefit the Salvation Army’s Bed and Bread program. In support of the cause, Credit Union ONE staff operated a phone bank at the Ferndale headquarters and the effort generated $105,037 in pledges exceeding last year’s total of $55,000. In addition, CU ONE has co-sponsored the Team Utica F.I.R.S.T. in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology Robotics competition. The F.I.R.S.T Robotics Competition is a national engineering contest that immerses high school students in the world of engineering. The students work to design, construct and test their robot. The teachers and engineers involved take a hands-off approach providing answers rather than direction. Nearly every aspect of the robot is handled directly by the students. This is the third year Credit Union ONE has been a corporate sponsor of this program and the first year it has sponsored Team Utica F.I.R.S.T. Other sponsors include Ford Motor Company, Utica Schools, TRW and FANUC Robotics. Corporate sponsorship pays for material costs, construction, shipping, uniforms and publicity. Students on Team Utica F.I.R.S.T. are responsible for raising $1,000 for their competition travel expenses. Plattsburgh GP Federal Credit Union, N.Y., has donated $1,200 to the children’s unit at the Fletcher Allen Health Care Center in Vermont. Funds were raised through a loan promotion benefiting their Care for Kids campaign. Members who donated $25 received a half a percentage point off the rate on a new vehicle loan. For a $50 donation the rate dropped by 1%.Fletcher Allen Health Care is one of 125 academic medical centers in the country. It provides programs and services in Vermont and northern New York. The Children’s Hospital was nationally recognized as the 18th best children’s service in the nation by Child magazine in February 2001.</p>