Summit Credit Union and "PIF"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 29, 2009 For more information, contact:
Cheryl Van Tessier, Finesse Public Relations LLC
(608) 467-4408, ctessier@finessepr.net <mailto:ctessier@finessepr.net>
Jamie Bay, Summit Credit Union
(608) 243-5000X4707, Jamie.bay@summitcreditunion.com

SUMMIT CREDIT UNION ANNOUNCES WINNER OF

‘PAY IT FORWARD’

More than 4,100 rank video pledges on-line to determine winner of grass-roots charity effort

MADISON, Wis. — The community has spoken – with 4,162 online votes in all – and the winner of Summit Credit Union’s grass-roots charity effort, ‘Pay It Forward,’ has been determined.

The video pledge entitled, “Giving Relative,” http://payitforward.summitcreditunion.com/page.php?page=3&pid=458&sf=r received the highest local ranking out of the 798 Pay It Forward program pledges which were videotaped at Summit’s 20 branch locations between March 23 and May 14.

Each Pay It Forward participant was asked the question, “If we gave you $10… what would you do for someone else?” and responses were posted on Summit’s web site.
Winner Elizabeth Lease indicated in her pledge, which was taped at Summit’s Cottage Grove branch, that she’d donate her $10 to a relative who’s struggling.

As follow up, all Pay It Forward participants were asked to post a written statement revealing what they did with the money. Elizabeth wrote:

“After leaving Summit I contacted my sister, who has recently had to quit her job due to an increase of symptoms of her lupus. I asked if she could use some extra cash for groceries, which she needed. I went to her home and gave her the $10 to buy some groceries with. Needless to say she was extremely appreciative and at the time it was exactly what she needed to take her mind off of her medical issues.”

As the grand-prize winner, Elizabeth will receive $500. Additionally, Summit will donate $500 to her charity of choice — the Lupus Foundation of America – Wisconsin Chapter (Madison).

Due to the popularity of the Pay It Forward program and the goodwill it generated, Summit will also be donating $500 to the chosen charities — the Waunakee Neighborhood Connection — of the second and third place videos, which were both filmed at Summit’s Waunakee branch. The second and third place winners are:

· Second Place – “Matching for Mothers” http://payitforward.summitcreditunion.com/page.php?page=3&pid=240&sf=r <http://payitforward.summitcreditunion.com/page.php?page=3&pid=240&sf=r>

· Third Place – “Stretch the Dollars”

http://payitforward.summitcreditunion.com/page.php?page=3&pid=237&sf=r

The voting phase took place June 1-15, during which community members were invited to rate the video pledges on a scale of one to five “stars.” The public was also invited to comment on the videos, which are still available for viewing at www.summitcreditunion.com <http://www.summitcreditunion.com/> .

History of Pay It Forward:

Summit’s Pay It Forward program is unique in the marketplace and appealed to a wide variety of members and non-members. The program was built upon the “pay it forward” concept, where the good deeds one has received—in this case, $10—is repaid by doing good things for others.

The Pay It Forward concept was first described by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 and popularized by Robert A. Heinlein in his book, Between Planets, published in 1951. In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novel, Pay It Forward, was published and adapted into a Warner Brothers film bearing the same name.

About Summit Credit Union:

Established in 1931, Summit Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative open to anyone in Wisconsin. Summit holds $1.3 billion in assets and has more than 106,000 members with a total of 20 locations throughout the Madison and Milwaukee areas. For more information, visit www.summitcreditunion.com <http://www.summitcreditunion.com/> or call (608) 243-5000 or (800) 236-5560.

Pay it Forward Art Auction

Pay it Forward Art Auction

http://cgi.ebay.com/Pay-It-Forward-Painting-Change-the-world-bracelet-earth_W0QQitemZ140328195689QQcmdZViewItemQQptZArt_Paintings?hash=item20ac365669&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1205%7C240%3A1

Ms. Raef's Journalism Class and "PIF"

Pay it Forward day proclaimed in San Bernardino, CA
Shandin Hills Middle School - Teacher Teresa Raef


Dear Ms. Raef's Journalism Class:

Thank you for your email. The Mayor has proclaimed September 11th as the Day to Volunteer or as you have identified "Pay It Forward Day".
It is our hope that you will consider supporting this action and be apart of the positive difference in our community.

Regards,

Peggi Hazlett
Assistant to the Mayor

Pay it Forward in 2009

http://www.payitforwardin2009.com

As we spoke earlier, I wanted to give you a little story for your site.

I don't really know what motivated me to do this, to be honest. It has been many years since I watched PIF on the big screen. But this last Thanksgiving holiday, my wife and I went to New York for the week. While waiting for our connection in Las Vegas, the idea came to me - build and run this website, and write a book about it. So here we are.

After building the site, we started the journey at a Starbucks coffee house here in Reno on January 1st. I paid for coffee for man folks, and made them promise to do something nice for others. As with many things, the original reception was huge. However, after a while, the traffic to the site died down. I didn't want to watch my project die, so today, I went to a different coffee house and paid for some more coffee. I have done several smaller things in between then and now. I just want to continue to generate traffic to my website and encourage others to do just a few small things in their daily life.

Thanks so much for linking my site to yours. I felt honored that my site was not only there, but that it was below such a prominent name in the Pay it Forward campaign. Thank you.

Steve

Key Club and "PIF"

As I promised when you were so kind to send me the Pay It Forward

braclets, I want to share my story with you

For the past four years I have been an active member of the Key Club,

serving as its President two years. There have been many projects that

made me glad to be involved in a service club. Here is some information

on the one that made me most proud. This past year, I wanted to instill

in my fellow IHS students the critical importance of volunteerism. To

do so, I initiated the Pay It Forward Program, under the auspices of the

Key Club. This national movement reinforces the significance of

returning to others through kind deed and service, good fortune that you

may have received. To accomplish this effort, I engaged the full

participation of the outstanding young men and women that compose the

IHS Key Club, under Mr. Eric Wells, our moderator.

How did we make Pay It Forward have an Independence, Ohio identity? We

did so by sponsoring a monthly event, which as the President, I had key

responsibility in developing and coordinating. Some of the civic events

we conducted this past year were:

* Fundraising for our programs: food concessions, Christmas

caroling

* Door to door food collection for the needy

* Donated over 65 pounds of Halloween candy for inner city youth

* Packed food for the holiday Yuletide Hunger Program

* Conducted a holiday Giving Tree, collecting gifts for over 70

inner city youth

* Collected over 500 coats in conjunction with the Salvation Army

coat drive

* Sponsored bingo with prizes for City senior citizens

* Conducted school wide collection and donated $1600 to Cleveland

Food Bank

* Provided volunteer hours for all Kiwanis fundraising events

* Currently conducting campaign for Shamrocks for Muscular

Dystrophy

This Pay it Forward project will culminate with each of the students

receiving a wrist band which reads "Pay it Forward," to hopefully remind

them of our mutual commitment to do so to others. Being involved in

this project had a profound impact upon me. Last year when I approached

my Principal and Key Club advisor for their approval, it was only a

dream that I hoped could become reality. Reviewing the extent of the

events mentioned above is just overwhelming to me, because it represents

a year-long effort in which my fellow students at Independence High

School displayed their generosity to those in need. I truly believe we

succeeded in demonstrating how to Pay it Forward.

Thank you Charley for helping make this all possible. As I move on to

college this fall, I will always strive to Pay It Forward.

With appreciation,

Rebecca Kapusta

This is a HUGE "PIF" Story!

There is power behind Paying It Forward.

My close friend Terry was laid off close to 6 months ago. His wife Kim is a stay at home Mom with 2 children. They were close to losing their house and my husband and I could not let that happen. For the past 6 months I have given them my paychecks so they can keep their house. She now works at the Albertson’s at night and he delivers the morning newspaper. Things were very tight for them so many nights they were all at our house eating dinner. I just found out today that he was offered a job that will be paying him twice the amount that he used to make. Terry was never one to help another but after this he helps everyone he can no matter how big or small. He has caught the PIF bug and that is something everyone should catch!!

Ryan Nece and "PIF"

http://www.ryannece.com

Pay it Forward

Human Spirit News and "PIF"

I'm working on a News site that will support projects that are

creating a positive difference in the community. I'm interested in

publishing stories w/ photos or youtube video of people/groups paying

it forward. I was wondering if you could mention on your blog or

website. I'd also like to include an article about the Pay it Forward

Foundation your grants and the bracelets and will link back to your

website so people can donate.

The site is at www.humanspiritnews.net

I think it's important to have other media outlets that have positive

uplifting news all the time! So i thought i'd create it myself... :)

Warm Wishes,

Sandy

"PIF" in Action!

After you so graciously sent me more bracelets than I expected ... I

just had to let you know what a blessing they have turned out to be.

You managed to get them to me in time for our school's volunteer

breakfast. I so enjoyed giving them to each and every person who

took the time to thank me and my husband for our contribution to

their class or our school. Some were familiar with PIF the movie,

others had never heard of the movie or the movement. All were

touched and some to tears.

It also got a number of the kids in my two children's classes

talking. They saw a bracelet on the Principal, Vice Principal,

Librarian, their teachers ... and my kids. They asked my kids about

them - and Kevin and Elisabeth were all too willing to share the Pay

it Forward message with them. They all wanted to know how they could

get one of their own. Both of my children were very diligent in

finding opportunities to share these with some of their

classmates. My daughter even gave her own to one of her teachers,

who cried at the gesture.

Last Sunday evening, while my husband and two kids were on a bike

ride, my daughter spotted what looked like a wallet on the

street. They picked it up and found that it had the driver's license

of a 17-year-old high school student from a community rather far from

our own. I looked up the boy's name and found lots of great info on

his basketball exploits and was able to do a phone number look-up

based on the address on his license. I phoned and spoke with his

mother and let her know we'd found the license. We gave her our

phone number and address so that her son could pick up his license

the next day. Mom actually was the one who showed up and she offered

us a monetary reward for finding the card. My husband and I had

already discussed this possibility the evening before and agreed that

we would not accept a reward. I checked and found that I had three

bracelets left of the 30 bracelets you sent me. She was blessed and

surprised to be given a PIF bracelet in reply to her offer of a reward.

My kids and I have been thinking hard about how we could apply for a

PIF mini grant. My son (age 11) is a quirky, smart, athletic, and

artistic kid (and very small for his age). He is open and

transparent and as a result, he's been a target at his school for the

last year and a half he's attended. He keeps thinking that if the

kids get to know him, they'll like him. This year he was beat up

three times - the final time by a younger student just the last week

of school - for asking the student's name. He has not wanted to

return to this school. We live in a neighborhood that on the

exterior looks okay, but there are a lot of troubled families and

kids. The teachers and principal at the school are great and there

are a majority of good kids at the school. Last school year, my Dad

had read about McKay Hatch, the young man who started a No Cussing

Club, and a major movement to instill respectful language in the

school community. Kevin loved it - he couldn't tolerate the cussing

at his school and even brought it up to the student council (of which

he was a member). He has wanted to start a No Cussing Club at our

school, but we need a sponsor to get shirts and wristbands for the

kids. Sponsorship is $350 and up. We've talked to other kids and

they would really like to be part of this kind of club at our

school. We've printed "No Cussing Zone" signs from McKay's website

for any and all teachers who wanted them. Kevin has decided that he

is willing to go back to his neighborhood school next year with a

purpose - to make it a better place. And he wants to start by

forming a No Cussing Club at the school. We have the Principal's

support and will send you a grant request soon to see if the Pay it

Forward Foundation might help us with a grant. We can think of no

better way to Pay it Forward than by modeling and sharing good

character in our school! My daughter (age 10) is excited about this

potential opportunity to do something great at the school as

well. She has been very worried about her brother (she is taller and

bigger than her big brother) and gets very upset when something

happens to him. Our PTA has a welcome back event the week before

school starts again in August. They would both like to have No

Cussing Club info and pledges available for kids at that

event. We'll be in touch soon!

I can't thank you enough for sharing all the bracelets with me and my

family. I'm excited about the ripples that are going out from the

pebbles we've thrown into the pond!

Thank-you so much,

Laura Taylor

WPTV.COM // West Boca Raton HS and "PIF"

From Mrs.Donney at West Boca Raton High School:

It’s so much fun sharing these bracelets with the rest of the world…Jay Cashmere from www.wptv.com Newschannel 5 in West Palm Beach wrote  : “””Hey, got the bracelets...thanks so much....handed them out in the newsroom...””

Jay writes again:  “Thanks Charley! Really appreciate the bracelets and the hard work you and Diane have done to get the word out.”   Newschannel 5 West Palm Beach www.wptv.com

HAPPY SUMMER TO EVERYONE…we need to keep pumping up the whole world and get the PAY IT FORWARD message spread throughout the world. Summer is a great time to make some GREAT MOVES!!! ~~Mrs.Donney

West Mufflin and "PIF"

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09155/974905-55.stm 

Summit Credit Union and "PIF"

June 1, 2009                                     

For more information, contact:
                                                          

Cheryl Van Tessier, Finesse Public Relations LLC
                                                         

(608) 467-4408, ctessier@finessepr.net
                                                        

Jamie Bay, Summit Credit Union
                                                         

(608) 243-5000X4707, Jamie.bay@summitcreditunion.com

                                                                                                           

SUMMIT CREDIT UNION INVITES COMMUNITY TO RATE

‘PAY IT FORWARD’ VIDEO PLEDGES

Charity effort comes to a close, with nearly $8,000 donated to local area and beyond

MADISON, Wis. — Summit Credit Union’s 8-week ‘Pay It Forward’ grass-roots charity effort came to a close on May 14 after 798 community members were asked — on camera —
“If we gave you $10… what would you do for someone else?” at 20 branch locations throughout the Madison and Milwaukee areas.  For the video-taped answers, individuals received $10 — free —with the assignment to Pay it Forward.  

           Community members are invited to rate the video pledges from June 1-15 at www.summitcreditunion.com <http://www.summitcreditunion.com/> . Videos are rated on a scale of one to five “stars.”  The public can also make comments on the videos.  

The video with the highest rating will be announced on Tues., June 23, on www.summitcreditunion.com <http://www.summitcreditunion.com/> . The winner will receive $500 for themselves and Summit will donate another $500 to the winner’s charity of choice.

Nearly $8,000 poured into the community through Summit’s Pay It Forward initiative, reaching far and wide — from non-profit organizations and schools to neighbors and strangers.  In addition to the local communities, Pay It Forward participants have stretched the money across the world — from Honduras, Ukraine and Afghanistan to Mexico, Haiti and Darfur. Over 120 non-profit organizations throughout the world benefitted from participants’ pledges.

History of Pay It Forward:

Summit’s Pay It Forward program is unique in the marketplace and appealed to a wide variety of members and non-members.  The program was built upon the “pay it forward” concept, where the good deeds one has received—in this case, $10—is repaid by doing good things for others.  

The Pay It Forward concept was first described by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 and popularized by Robert A. Heinlein in his book, Between Planets, published in 1951.  In 2000, Catherine Ryan Hyde’s novel, Pay It Forward, was published and adapted into a Warner Brothers film bearing the same name.

About Summit Credit Union:

Established in 1931, Summit Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative open to anyone in Wisconsin.  Summit holds $1.2 billion in assets and has more than 106,000 members with a total of 20 locations throughout the Madison and Milwaukee areas.   For more information, visit www.summitcreditunion.com <http://www.summitcreditunion.com/>  or call (608) 243-5000 or (800) 236-5560.