A regional bank wanted to implement a community relations program as part of its 150th birthday celebration that reinforced the bank’s mission of “being a good community neighbor” and supported the future education of our children. The result – an essay-based scholarship program, which provided $150,000 to area college-bound high school seniors across the bank’s 8-county region. More than 700 students from 175 schools, spanning public, private, parochial and charter institutions submitted essays, and 50 judges from a diverse range of organizations (non-profit, media, legal, business) judged entries. The bank garnered significant media coverage reaching both the general and business communities, including a feature story in the Philadelphia Business Journal; interviews with WOGL-FM, KYW-AM, Comcast Newsmakers, etc; and, coverage in print media from the Philadelphia Inquirer to the Delaware County Daily Times to the Philadelphia Tribune.
In 2004, the program--then in its second year--was recognized with a Second Place Pepperpot Award from the Philadelphia PRSA.
Philadelphia PRSA Pepperpot Award Winner 2004, Second Place