DONATIONS

The BECU Foundation, Tukwila, Wash., recently awarded 32, $2,000 scholarships to student members of BECU. Scholarship recipients are selected based on academic achievement, leadership, school service, and strong community involvement. Volunteering at camps for children with cancer and disabilities, traveling to other countries to build houses for local families, and volunteering at homeless shelters, are just a few of the service activities to which award recipients have dedicated their time. The Foundation received more than 600 scholarship applications from BECU student members. Applicants were required to submit hours of community service, grade point averages and letters of recommendation, as well as essays describing their most meaningful service experiences. FirstLight Federal Credit Union, El Paso, Texas, recently donated $1,000 to Dana Boyd who was selected Ysleta Independent School District Teacher of the Year because of a nomination made by her second grade class at Dolphin Terrace Elementary. A banquet, which honors the Region 19 elementary and secondary teachers of the year, will be held to celebrate the recognition that these teachers so richly deserve. Boyd wanted to share this momentous occasion with the very people who made it possible–her students and their parents–but many of the students are from low socioeconomic families and were unable to pay for the $25 ticket. When CEO Karl Murphy heard of Boyd’s dilemma, he stepped in with the donation that would enable her to pay for her students to attend the banquet. American Airlines Federal Credit Union, Fort Worth, Texas, recently announced the winners of its 2006 AA Credit Union Scholarship program. The winners were chosen from over 160 applications from youth members across the country. The recipients are: Blake Chism, Scott Collision, Kent Fairchild, Ashley Park and Tracy Timm. Since 2004, AA Credit Union has invested in the lives of its member-owners by rewarding outstanding young men and women for their strengths in academics, accomplishments in and out of the classroom and for their desire to achieve their future goals. Rogue Federal Credit Union, Medford, Ore., recently attended the last assembly for the 2006 school year for Phoenix Elementary School. Thirteen children were presented gift certificates of $10 each to a local movie theatre for their perfect attendance during the 2005/2006 school year. One special award was given to a 5th grader named Zach for his perfect attendance for the past five years. He received the movie theatre dollars and a $25 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble. Each child also received a certificate for perfect attendance and a handshake from Nanci Grabner, Rogue FCU’s business development specialist with a huge congratulation on a great accomplishment. Afena Federal Credit Union, Marion, Ind., recently donated food to The Salvation Army Pantry because after Memorial Day it had to close its doors due to a lack of food to feed the hungry. The credit union, along with other community groups, mobilized and donated enough food to fill two vans. The donation helped fill the shelves of The Salvation Army Pantry and it was able to open its doors. Northwest Federal Credit Union Foundation, Herndon, Va., recently held a luncheon for students, family members and special guests to honor the recipients of its 2nd annual Ben DeFelice Scholarship. Ten deserving students were awarded $2,500 for their leadership, dedication and commitment–personal qualities of DeFelice, a credit union pioneer who contributed to the success of Northwest Federal Credit Union and its subsidiary Northwest Services, LLC. Clearview Federal Credit Union, Moon Township, Pa., presented $5,600 to Variety The Children’s Charity. The donation comes from the proceeds raised by the credit union during its annual charity golf outing. This year’s proceeds were raised from a Chinese Auction. The golf tournament was held at Blackhawk Golf Course and over 100 community residents and credit union members attended. City-County Federal Credit Union, Brooklyn Center, Minn., awarded its 2006 annual scholarships to Zachary Miller, Ashley Coleman and Holly Jo Cason. Recipients received a $1,000 scholarship presented by CCFCU’s President Dean Nelson and the board at the annual scholarship ceremony. Scholarships are awarded each year to current college students and high school seniors who will be attending college this fall who have excelled in academics and community efforts. Discovery Federal Credit Union, Wyomissing, Pa., recently named the winners of its two $500 scholarships, Katherine Osenbach and Matthew Ettaro. The scholarships are given to Discovery members who are also members of the CU Succeed Teen Club. Both of the teens are accomplished academically, and involved in various activities in their respective schools and communities. Silver State Schools Credit Union, Las Vegas, recently awarded four New Teacher Certification and 20 Masters of Education scholarships to members who applied for its annual teacher scholarship award program. The total amount given in scholarships by the CU was $24,000. The New Teacher Certification scholarship is designed to assist in the recruitment of new teachers, a continuing critical need in Clark County, now the fourth largest school district in the nation. The Masters of Education Studies scholarship enables a currently licensed teacher to enhance their professional development by pursuing a Master’s Degree. Each scholarship awards $1,000 annually, renewable for a second year, and is awarded to the most deserving applicants, as determined by a selection committee. NJ Gateway Federal Credit Union, Monmouth Junction, N.J., recently made a Frisbee donation to the Summer Camp Program for the South Brunswick Township YMCA. The donation helped launch the YMCA Camp Program. NJ Gateway donated the Frisbees to the Y for distribution to more than 500 campers throughout the summer. After extensive flooding besieged much of the Northeastern United States recently, President Bush included Pennsylvania’s Columbia County among those declared a disaster area due to flooding. Philadelphia Federal Credit Union, Philadelphia, which has a branch in Bloomsburg, came to its aid by donating $10,000 to the Bloomsburg Flood Recovery Fund. Sunmark Federal Credit Union, Schenectady, N.Y., donated $5,000 to assist the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce in its efforts to help area businesses recover from the severe flooding that recently occurred. In addition to the funds raised by Sunmark FCU, CSX Railroad also contributed another $5,000 to the effort. Insight Financial, Orlando, Fla., recently received a visit from Representative David Mealor during his campaigning. Insight Financial and the Credit Union Political Action Committee presented a $750 donation to support Mealor’s re-election campaign. Mealor, who represents District 34 (comprised of areas in west Seminole County) in the Florida House of Representatives, is credit union friendly and an avid supporter of growth in Seminole County. Holy Rosary Credit Union, Rochester, N.H., recently hosted a reception and presented 10, $1,000 scholarships to deserving high school graduates. The recipients of this year’s awards were: Jeffrey D. Boynton; Donovan Funk II; Jessica Keravich; Kimberly Montini; Jessica E. Sinclair; Emilee R. Somers; Emily Quigley; Stephanie St. Cyr; Jaclyn Vincent; and Dean Scott. All ten recipients this year are well-deserving individuals who possess the energy and ambition to succeed. Over 13 local credit unions from the Tri-County Chapter of the California Credit Union League, Riverside, Calif., donated much-needed school supplies to Longfellow Elementary School on the East Side of Riverside recently. Boxes of paper, folders, rulers, pens, pencils, glue, crayons and even facial tissues were donated to assist teachers and the students they serve. The school supply drive has become an annual tradition for the Tri-County Chapter. David Smith and Sharilyn Hunke from Service Plus CU surprised the teachers at Longfellow Elementary School when they showed up with over 20 boxes of supplies for their students.