SALT LAKE CITY – While presenting Corner Canyon High School student Isabel Crofts with a scholarship in August, America First Credit Union’s chief strategic engagement officer, Tammy Gallegos, challenged the scholarship-recipient to collect 1,000 pounds of food for the Utah Food Bank—a nonprofit Crofts volunteers with regularly. Gallegos said that if this goal was met, the credit union would donate $1,000 to Corner Canyon High School’s athletic program.
Crofts, a 3.96 grade point average student-athlete at the Draper school, not only met the challenge but exceeded the goal by an additional 2,000 pounds. During the 6A high school football semifinal at Rice-Eccles Stadium where Corner Canyon defeated Weber High School, America First surprised Crofts with a check for $3,304 to match dollar-for-pound the food collected by the multi-sport athlete.
Crofts, who plays volleyball, basketball and track & field for Corner Canyon, is a part of the Humanitarian African Relief Team and donates her time at the Utah Food Bank. All her work in the classroom, on the court and in the community resulted in her being named the scholar athlete of the week by America First Credit Union, KJZZ and KMYU in August.
In addition to the food donated by Crofts, America First Credit Union donated more than $32,000 to the Utah Food Bank during their annual food drive which concluded at the end of October. The not-for-profit credit union collected more than $17,000 from community donations and donated an additional $15,000 to reach the total donation amount.
“It’s a super passionate thing for me because there are people out there who are not as blessed and to go without food is hard,” said Crofts. “I just turned to my teammates and my administration at Corner Canyon, and we were able to come together and raise food for those in need so they could have a great winter. Our school really rose to this challenge. I was super proud of them and I am just grateful for everyone that helped out from my teammates, my coaches and student body.”
“I was so proud to hear that Isabel not only met the challenge I gave her but exceeded it,” added Gallegos. “Knowing that she exceeded her goal, we wanted to increase our donation to Corner Canyon’s athletics department to meet what she was able to give to the Utah Food Bank. As a credit union, we are always looking for ways to acknowledge and reward people helping people within our community.”
“The credit union is focused on the philosophy of people helping people,” said Nicole Cypers, America First’s VP of Government Affairs and Public Relations. “With our member contributions and the food contributions from Corner Canyon, we were able to collect enough to equate to over 113,000 meals which would feed 26 families of four for an entire year. It was a huge contribution and helped make the food drive a success.”