Last Updated on December 6, 2023 by Logansport Savings Bank
The 20th annual Logansport Savings Bank Cass County Basketball Invitational was held recently, and the Logansport Savings Bank Junior Board took initiative to fundraise for a worthy community cause. This year’s local organization chosen to receive their donation was the Emmaus Mission Center and Food Pantry.
Logansport Savings Bank (LSB) pledged to match the money that was raised to double the impact of the donation. During the tournament, $1,350.00 was raised by the students. A donation of $2,700 was presented today by Junior Board Members and Logansport Savings Bank staff to Jason Mitchell, Executive Director of the Emmaus Mission Center and Food Pantry.
The Logansport Savings Bank Junior Board is comprised of 16 high school students – two juniors and two seniors representing all four county schools throughout Cass County. As a group, they connect with fans, fellow students, and members of the crowd during each game of the LSB Cass County Invitational and ask for donations to benefit their chosen recipient. This is one of the many ways that these students experience the importance of community service and of giving back as part of their involvement on the LSB Junior Board.
“Working together as a team to raise a significant amount of money like this is very rewarding,” comments Esther Bien-Aime, President of the Logansport Savings Bank Junior Board. “We are all grateful for the opportunity to hear from business and community leaders at our meeting about what it takes to meet the many different community needs we have. Additionally, our Junior Board members also research local nonprofit organizations and take turns making presentations to our board at our meetings, so that we can think differently about who and how we might help right here at home. Emmaus is one of many local causes that is close to our hearts and it’s easy to see how they help many people in many ways. We are very excited to be a small part of that.”
“We are grateful and feel so blessed to be the recipient of such a generous donation from these students,” said Jason Mitchell, Executive Director of Emmaus Mission Center. “We do our best to serve as many members of our community as possible, and to meet the needs they have in various ways. Every donation we receive makes this important work possible. We thank Logansport Savings Bank and its Junior Board of Directors for this combined, impactful gift.”
“Giving back to local organizations like Emmaus is at the heart of who we are as a community bank,” shares Chad Higgins, President and CEO of Logansport Savings Bank. “Working with the Junior Board students is a rewarding experience for us as community leaders and bank staff members. Everyone on our LSB team believes in the importance of giving back, whether through monetary donations and sponsorships or through volunteering time and talent to help where possible.
Chad went on to say, “As a community bank, we have a local focus on supporting the customers and communities that we serve. When our customers choose to bank with LSB, the money they invest with us stays here. It is used to support other small businesses, neighbors, students, kids and families, organizations and community events. We put a lot of thought into where our contributions can have the most impact, and we encouraged our Junior Board members to do the same. We are so proud of them and the way they engaged our community members from all four local schools to come together and support a worthy cause.”
LSB Junior Board members have wrapped up the first part of their year on the Junior Board with a recent visit to Area Five Agency. They are scheduled to resume community visits as part of their monthly meetings in January and February by going to other local businesses and organizations that have volunteered to host them. Their term will culminate in May, with another donation to an identified local organization based on volunteer hours they have contributed throughout the school year. They will decide as a Board about where to award those funds once their volunteer hours have been completed.
SOURCE: News release from Logansport Savings Bank
PHOTO CAPTION: The Logansport Savings Bank Junior Board of Directors proudly presents the funds raised to Jason Mitchell, Executive Director of the Emmaus Mission Center and Food Pantry. Jason indicated that these funds would be especially helpful in allowing for dairy products like milk to be included among the food bags and boxes that Emmaus provides for families in need.
Pictured left to right:
Front Row – Shayley Strasser, Haley Logan, Jason Mitchell (Emmaus Mission Center), Nick Park, Chloe Chan, Ashanta Curry, Eliana Cicalo, and Christina Truax (Logansport Savings Bank).
Back Row – Edison Byrum, Finley Gay, Esther Bien-Aime, Drew McKaig, Chad Higgins (Logansport Savings Bank), Keirsten Nies, Zach Rogers, and Kinsey Mennen.