Granting Wishes & Giving Grants: Community News

Childhood leukemia survivors Cameron Gular, 6, and his stepbrother Foster Jones (to Gular’s left), 5, celebrate the reveal of their granted shared wish – a trip to Disney World – during the Virginia Tech. vs. Old Dominion University football game with team cheerleaders, mascots and representatives from the Chartway Promise Foundation on Sept. 2 in Norfolk, Va. The wish reveal, which was broadcast on ESPNU, was made possible by the $2.6 billion, Virginia Beach, Va.-based Chartway Credit Union and its charitable arm, the Chartway Promise Foundation, with charitable funds given to Toby’s Dream Foundation. Chartway was also the official Game Day Sponsor of ODU’s opening day football game.

Coastal Credit Union ($4.7 billion, Raleigh, N.C.) employees prepare meals for the Raleigh-based organization Rise Against Hunger on Sept. 1. More than 180 Coastal employees participated in the day of service, which coincided with the credit union’s 55th anniversary and was coordinated by its Credit Union Development Educators, packaging approximately 55,000 meals.

The Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.-based Co-op Solutions sponsored the 2022 Presidents Cup Golf Tournament, held Sept. 21-25 in Charlotte, N.C., raising $16,100 for Credit Unions for Kids and $13,500 for Financial Well-Being for All, the National Credit Union Foundation’s financial wellness campaign. Co-op offered tickets for a day on the course with a recommended donation of the face value or a portion of each ticket, and in addition, Co-op ran #shadesupFOREkids, which encouraged everyone in the movement to take selfies on-board their airline flights with the window shade up. Co-op made a $10 donation for every selfie posted with the hashtag. Pictured from left to right are Renee Richards of CMN Hospitals, Samantha Paxson of Co-op Solutions, John Bratsakis of the MD|DC Credit Union Association, Todd Clark of Co-op Solutions and Jeff Guy, father of a CMN Hospitals Champion Child.

Local Girl Scouts learn surfing basics from a professional female surfer at the Super Girl Surf Pro event and music festival, held Sept. 16-18 in Oceanside, Calif. The $1.2 billion, Oceanside-based Frontwave Credit Union sent members of its Goodie2Crew, which is comprised of dedicated Frontwave employees, to the event, where they ran special giveaways and arranged for the surfing lesson for the group of Girl Scouts.

On behalf of the Cooperative Credit Union Association’s New Hampshire Credit Unions, the New Hampshire Social Responsibility Committee presents its 2021/2022 donation of $225,000 to its charitable partner, Make-A-Wish New Hampshire, in support of providing life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Pictured from left to right are Thomas Andrew of Members First Credit Union ($251 million, Manchester), Make-A-Wish New Hampshire’s Faith Hazelton, Dennis Hebert of Granite State Credit Union ($635 million, Manchester), Jake Powers of St. Mary’s Bank ($1.4 billion, Manchester), Make-A-Wish New Hampshire CEO Julie Baron, NH Social Responsibility Committee Chairman Brian Hughes, St. Mary’s Bank’s Ronald Covey, Jr., Lana Constantino of Triangle Credit Union ($868 million, Nashua), and Make-A-Wish New Hampshire’s Olivia Stanas and Mai Chen.

The $53.1 billion, Raleigh, N.C.-based SECU’s SECU Foundation recently provided a $40,000 grant to TimberKnolls Spirit Cove (TSC), which provides animal-assisted activities and therapy to veterans, military families, first responders, health care workers, and people battling illness or trauma. The grant will support TSC’s expansion in Western North Carolina and help develop plans for a new campus. Pictured in the front row from left to right, with therapy dogs and local SECU staff and advisory board members, are TSC staff member Kelly Benton, TSC Executive Director Lisa Schiller, and TSC staff members Benita Edds, Patti Sutherland and Brian Benton.

Please send your Community News items to Natasha Chilingerian at nchilingerian@cutimes.com.