Community support is a year-round endeavor for Heartland Bank and as we look forward to the start of a new year, we’d like to reflect on the events that we were blessed to be a part of in 2015.
Heartland Bank and 104.9 the River teamed up once again to present the 8th annual Money Matters Summit at the First Baptist Church of Grove City. Over 150 attendees registered for seminars with topics such as The Fundamentals of Investing, Saving for College yet?, and Budgeting and Living within your Means. “We were proud to offer this financial resource again this year to central Ohioans. In today’s economic environment, it’s important to have a trusted resource that can give you honest answers to your questions”, according to Scott McComb, Chairman, President and CEO.
For the third consecutive year, financial professionals from Heartland Bank were invited to visit Mrs. Cartwright’s fourth grade Social Studies classes at Searfoss Elementary School in Johnstown to broaden their financial literacy and understanding of the banking industry. This was initiated in response to the school’s preparation for the curriculum alignment with the State of Ohio Common Core Standards for Social Studies. Johnstown Branch Manager Randy Kelly and Assistant Branch Manager Tanya Bennett taught five sessions explaining basic financial vocabulary terms, how to distinguish a need from a want, and how to plan and implement a basic budget. They discussed currency and its production, as well as career opportunities within the banking environment.
What started out as a simple idea for a wellness opportunity for bank employees turned into a full-fledged Heartland initiative, complete with a team of riders and a committed focus on the annual Pelotonia ride for cancer research. The Pelotonia model remains simple: all operating expenses are covered by funding partners so that 100% of every dollar raised by Pelotonia riders, virtual riders, and volunteers goes directly to fund cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. This year’s Peloton included Heartland Chairman, President and CEO Scott McComb and VP Director of Investment Services Mark Posey, Directors Jay Eggspuehler and Gary Paine, and Heartland customers Don Neff and Jo Ridge.
The Heartland Bank Charity Golf Classic has supported various charitable organizations again this year. From the first golf outing in 1996, when the Bank made a small donation to the Licking County 4H Horse Council, to 2015, when six local charities selected by the bank collected a total of $30,000, Heartland is proud to have contributed over $370,000.
We launched (literally!) the Heartland Bank hot air balloon in early August and enjoyed watching it fly over events and festivals in central Ohio.
The 26th annual Heartland Bank Holiday Party was held in a new venue at the Creekside Conference & Event Center this year and twelve area organizations benefited from the generosity of employees who bid on almost 200 items donated to this holiday celebration. Central Ohio’s Community Bank continues the tradition of giving back to the communities that we serve. Each Heartland Bank office selected a charitable organization in their market to receive a portion of the proceeds from the Silent Auction. Through the generosity and teamwork of clients, employees and area businesses, just over $6,000 was raised at this year’s event and over $70,000 since the fundraising component of the Holiday Party began in 1996.
Finally, Heartland proudly supported several community festivals and events in 2015 including the Johnstown Fireman’s Festival, Gahanna’s Creekside Blues & Jazz Festival, Westerville Music & Arts Festival, the Hartford Fair, the Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival, Grove City’s Arts in the Alley and the North Market’s Ohio Craft Brew Festival. As we reflect on this past year and all of the local events sponsored by Heartland Bank, it reminds us that we’re thankful to have been part of your community for the last 104 years and we look forward to continuing to serve as Central Ohio’s Community Bank.
In 2016, we’re looking forward to expanding into the Hilliard and Clintonville communities, to the building of a new Corporate Center, and to enjoy all of our relationships with current and future customers.