ORNL FCU donates sweepstakes winnings to Girls Inc.

ORNL Federal Credit Union collected thousands of dollars worth of electronics and household goods during the Credit Union Magic Minute Loyalty Dash sponsored by PSCU,  and the credit union donated its winnings to Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge on Thursday, Feb. 6.

PSCU, the nation’s leading Credit Union Service Organization, or CUSO, conceived and fully sponsored the Credit Union Magic Minute Loyalty Sweepstakes as a way to give their member-owner credit unions, including ORNL FCU, the shopping thrill of a lifetime, a press release said.

ORNL FCU members were encouraged to register their contact information on their credit union’s CURewards loyalty program website, the press release said. By using their ORNL FCU credit or debit card during the sweepstakes eligibility period, members’ names were automatically entered in a series of eight weekly drawings.

Thanks to ORNL FCU’s members’ participation in the loyalty program, ORNL FCU earned a spot in the Credit Union Magic Minute Loyalty Dash in Chicago on Dec. 5, 2013, the press release said. ORNL FCU representatives Zain Hashmi, special loans department manager, and Tom Wright, vice president of marketing, pushed an oversized shopping cart through the aisles of a warehouse stacked with thousands of brand-name products and loaded their cart with as much merchandise as possible in just 60 seconds. Hashmi and Wright grabbed more than 20 items, including flat screens, tools, PlayStations, iMacs, and home appliances.

ORNL FCU donated the items to Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge, which plans to raffle off the items to raise funds for their organization. Established in 1976, Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge is a local affiliate of the national nonprofit Girls Inc. and strives to be recognized as the premier organization that helps all girls realize their potential and exercise their rights.

ORNL FCU chose Girls Inc. because of its belief in the organization’s goal to “inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.”

“ORNL FCU knows that teamwork is a large part of effective character building, and our members and employees came together to do just that,” said Jessica Emert, ORNL FCU’s director of community and public relations. “We carry this teamwork into our partnerships with Girls Inc. in their pursuit of empowering girls.”

“We are so grateful for this donation,” said Rhoni Basden, executive director of Girls Inc. of Oak Ridge. “ORNL FCU has a history of being a valuable and generous community partner, and we are thrilled to be on the receiving end of this contribution.”