CU Direct to Present $60K in Donations to Six Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
20 for 20 Giveback Campaign Celebrates CU Direct’s 20th Anniversary, Awards Winning Hospitals Across the U.S.
Ontario, Calif. | January 15, 2015
CU Direct, (www.cudirect.com) the nation’s leading provider of lending, automotive and strategic solutions to the credit union industry, will present $60K in donations to six of the nation’s Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals as a result of the company’s 20 for 20 Giveback Campaign. The credit unions that generated the most votes for each winning hospital will be joining CU Direct in co-presenting the donations to the CMN hospitals during check presentation ceremonies this month.
Nationwide, the three week campaign generated over 375,000 votes and over 2.1 million visits to the company’s 20 for 20 campaign website.
“By the eighth day of voting we received nearly 75,000 votes and were floored by the support,” said Tony Boutelle, President and CEO of CU Direct. “We’re excited to present donations to these deserving CMN hospitals alongside the dedicated credit unions that helped them win.”
The top two winning CMN Hospitals, each receiving a $20K donation, are Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah and Hurley Children’s Hospital in Flint, Michigan.
CU Direct and America First Credit Union, based in Riverdale, Utah will present the donation to Primary Children’s Hospital on Tuesday, January 20th at the hospital in Salt Lake City
“Primary Children’s Hospital is honored to receive this generous contribution from CU Direct, and we are grateful to our local credit unions and our community for voting to help our children,” said Sharon Smith, Corporate and Community Development Board Chair.
“It’s an honor for us to be able to align with CU Direct and its Give Back Campaign to bring this funding to Primary Children’s Hospital,” said John Lund, president and CEO of America First Credit Union. “We’re proud of the efforts of our employees and members for rallying behind this important cause and privileged to support with a matching $20,000 donation from America First Credit Union.”
Burton, Michigan-based ELGA Credit Union and Flint, Michigan-based Dort Federal Credit Union will join CU Direct to present Hurley Children’s Hospital with their donation on Tuesday, January 27th at the hospital in Flint, Michigan.
“We are not only grateful for this donation, but for the sense of pride CU Direct instilled in us,” said Linda Tracy-Stephens, CMN Director at Hurley Children’s Hospital. “This victory shows how much our community cares about our patients.”
“People helping people, community involvement and active participation form the foundation of all credit unions in general and ELGA Credit Union specifically,” stated Cheryl Sclater, Business & Community Development Manager at ELGA Credit Union. “These principles were never more evident than during the CU Direct 20 for 20 campaign. This generous gift will touch immeasurable lives, and we were proud to be part of it.”
“As evidenced by their amazing donation of $60,000 to six CMN Hospitals’, CU Direct is not only a true partner in business but also a true partner in our local community, noted Vicki Hawkins, CEO of Dort Federal Credit Union. “Their innovative “20 for 20” campaign recognized 20 years of success by creatively and significantly giving back to the communities our credit unions serve. We are grateful to CU Direct for donating $20K to Hurley Children’s Hospital, and we’re happy we could support the hospital by getting the vote out.”
CU Direct held the online voting contest from December 2 – 22, 2014, as a way to celebrate their 20th year in business. The company invited credit unions, members, and the general public to vote once daily for the CMN hospitals in their communities. Due to overwhelming engagement, CU Direct increased the final donation to $60K total, for six CMN hospitals — the top two winning hospitals with the four runner-up hospitals each receiving $5K. The runner-up hospitals are:
Riley Hospital for Children (Indianapolis, IN), January 29th, with Indiana Members Credit Union, co-presenting
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital (Portland, OR), January 20, with Fibre Federal Credit Union and Unitus Community Credit Union co-presenting
McLane Children’s Scott & White Hospital (Waco, TX), January 28th, with Scott & White Employees Credit Union co-presenting
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (Hartford, CT), January 23rd, with Hartford Health Care Credit Union co-presenting
As an exciting addition to the contest, America First Credit Union also matched the $20K donation for Primary Children’s Hospital in Utah, while Pediatric Dentist, Dr. Alan Klein, matched the $20K donation for Hurley Children’s Hospital in Michigan. The two contributing matching amounts resulted in a total donation of $100K to CMN hospitals through CU Direct’s 20 for 20 Campaign.
Over the last decade, CU Direct has been an active supporter of the Credit Unions for Kids Wine Auction, benefitting CMN Hospitals in Nevada and California. The company’s involvement in the annual event has helped raise more than $2.6 million since 2006.
For more information on CU Direct’s 20 for 20 campaign, visit www.cudirect.com/cudirect20/ or contact [email protected].
About CU Direct
For more than twenty years, CU Direct has been a lending technology leader, helping credit unions fund $211 billion in loans. More than 1,100 credit unions rely on CU Direct’s solutions to generate loans, create efficiencies, and grow membership. From CUDL, the industry’s number one auto lending platform, to the industry’s revolutionary Lending 360 Loan Origination System, and Lending Insights dynamic analytic tools, CU Direct develops the technology that helps credit unions advance their lending programs and overall portfolio success. 14,000 auto dealers nationwide use CU Direct’s automotive solutions to connect with credit unions and their members to drive sales and increase their bottom lines. For more information, visit www.cudirect.com. Connect with CU Direct on Twitter and LinkedIn.
