RAPID CITY, N.D.–Each year at the Dakota Credit Union Association (DakCU) Annual Summit, a “Give Back” project is planned to benefit an organization within the community where the event is being held. For this year’s Summit, credit union attendees were asked to bring pre-paid gift cards in $25 increments for the local CMN Hospital, Monument Health.
During the two-day event, 145 gift cards were collected from contributing credit unions based in North and South Dakota, with a total cash value of $3,625.
“Then, in an incredible act of generosity, Black Hills FCU stepped up and matched the donations, bringing the total donation to $7,250,” the association said.
The gift cards will be distributed at the Monument Health Foundation’s discretion to families being treated at the hospital to help pay for incidentals and transportation costs getting to and from the hospital.
“Because this was the first event where we specifically asked for cash gift card donations instead of tangible items such as food, clothing, or pet supplies, we really didn’t know what to expect for a response,” stated DakCU President/CEO Jeff Olson. “However, we were hopeful that it would be well received. In fact, the outpouring of support far exceeded our expectations! This is an amazing show of charitable good will by our members, as well as many of our vendors and business partners, and these gift cards will go a long way in supporting families experiencing a medical hardship,” he added.
Shawn Powers, CMN Program Manager for Monument Health Foundation, and Monument Foundation Director, Hans Nelson, appeared at the DakCU awards banquet to accept the gift cards.
“We thank you for all of your hard work putting on such an amazing conference, and we truly appreciate the opportunity to be a part of your ‘give back’ project,” stated Powers. “The project was so well received; we were absolutely thrilled that you collected so many cards! Then, both Hans and I were completely blown away by Black Hills FCU matching those efforts! Many kids and families are going to benefit from the generosity of your association members, and we thank you once again for all you do for the kids,” he concluded.
Below, from left: Shawn Powers, CMN Program Manager for Monument Health Foundation; Jeff Olson, DakCU President/CEO; and Hans Nelson, Monument Foundation Director.