Giving Hope to Children in Need & the Disabled: Community News

From left to right Dan Ziniti, Ray Phillips and Lorie Skelton from the $1.3 billion Hanscom Federal Credit Union in Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., prepare to run the 2019 Boston Marathon. The three Boston Marathon charity runners raised $63,797 for Boston Children’s Hospital this spring, surpassing their goal of raising $60,000. This is the 20th year runners from the credit union have participated in the iconic race through its partnership with Credit Unions Kids at Heart, one of the largest credit union collaborative fundraising programs in the nation. One hundred percent of the money raised will be used to fund several pediatric brain research projects at Boston Children’s Hospital, including the search for treatments, therapies and cures for Moyamoya Disease, Sturge-Weber Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and pediatric brain tumors. The three charity runners were paired with patient partners from Boston Children’s Hospital, who, along with their families, cheered them on through months of training as well as along the route on race day.

Jim Miller, president/CEO for the $674 million First City Credit Union in Los Angeles, Calif., presents a $7,000 check donation to Sara Hackett, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles assistant vice president, corporate partnerships to help fundraise for its Make March Matter campaign. The annual fundraising campaign brings local businesses and the community together in support of CHLA, raises awareness of children’s health, as well as supports programs and services at CHLA that create hope and build healthier futures. During the fundraising effort, First City gave members who opened a new FirstStart child’s saving account a themed piggy bank and donated $5 of their opening $10 deposit to CHLA.

The $1.6 billion Evansville (Indiana) Teachers Federal Credit Union in Evansville, Ind., awards $5,000 in Ted Hitch Scholarships (named for a former credit union CEO) to 10 high school seniors on April 28. To date, the credit union has awarded $570,000 in scholarships since the inception of the program.

Employees from the $1.5 billion Hawaii State Federal Credit Union in Honolulu, Hawaii present a $10,000 donation to the Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders as part of its board of directors’ election campaign. As an incentive to encourage members to vote during its 2019 board of directors’ election, Hawaii State FCU pledged to donate $5 for every online vote, up to $10,000, to CTL. Hawaii State FCU began partnering with CTL in 2017 to engage and teach Hawaii high school students about real-life financial topics not covered in their school’s curriculum. Topics include basic budgeting, balancing a checking account, the power of saving, debt management and the importance of having good credit, and tips for financing college.

A group of employees from the mortgage operations team at the $2.1 billion Elevations Credit Union in Boulder, Colo., use a half day of their volunteer time off hours in April to help build three homes in Boulder for Habitat for Humanity. Each Elevations employee receives 16 hours of paid volunteer time off to use each year to volunteer with nonprofits in the Colorado Front Range communities.

Kayla Graham from the $2.5 billion Robins Financial Credit Union in Warner Robins, Ga., presents a $1,000 donation to a representative from Extra Special People, a local non-profit financial cooperative with 22 branches in central Georgia. Extra Special People assists children and young people with special needs and provides a safe place that these individuals can call their own.

Please send your Community news items to Tahira Hayes at thayes@cutimes.com.