Meriwest Credit Union, San Jose, Calif., awarded $4,000 to schools participating in the KFOX school of rock contest. The annual contest has middle and high school bands and choirs compete against each other performing classic rock songs. KFOX listeners voted online for the group that they prefer. The contest draws attention to the need for funding middle and high school arts programs. The winner bands and choirs performed live on KFOX's morning show with Greg Kihn and were given a gold record and cash award for their efforts. Meriwest Credit Union served as the prime sponsor of the school of rock. Castillero Middle School were the winners at the middle school lever and Pioneer High School's jazz band was the high school winner along with the Gunn High school choir. Each band and choir was awarded $5,000 each, $1,000 came from Meriwest and $4,000 came from an anonymous donor. The funds are given to each school's music booster clubs to support the arts programs.

Pacific Service Credit Union, Walnut Creek, Calif., donated $5,000 to the San Jose Repertory Theatre for the Red Ladder Theatre Co. Red Ladder is the social outreach branch of the San Jose Repertory and works with underserved and disadvantaged children to improve and enrich their lives through theater arts. Red Ladder Theater Co. was formed in 1992. Pacific Service has supported the organization for the past four years.

United Educational Credit Union, Battle Creek, Mich., has named North Pennfield Elementary as a recipient of a bright ideas partnership program grant for $1,400. Karoline Kinnisten, a reading teacher at North Pennfield, applied for the grant to help fund an expansion of the Six + 1 Traits Writing Focus Lesson Library at the school. The school's goal is to improve the MEAP third grade language arts scores. The Focus Lesson Library matches children's books and teacher resource books with writing mini-lessons that focus on the six traits of good writing.

Fort Lee Federal Credit Union, Fort Lee, Va., teamed up with the Armed Forces Financial Network to donate more than $2,900 to Army Community Services. Army Community Services helps soldiers and their families in times of need. Fort Lee FCU raised the money through a savings revolution they implemented during military saves week.

Georgia Central Credit Union, Duluth, Ga., participated in the 2008 Gwinnett County relay for life. Relay for life teams spend the night camping out and participating in activities until it is their turn to walk on the track. Teams walk throughout the night and into the morning to symbolize that cancer does not sleep, therefore the community will not rest until there is a cure. Eight Georgia Central employees participated on the corporate's team. The team held several fundraising events to raise over $1,000 for the vent.

Hopewell Federal Credit Union, Heath, Ohio, announced that they were recognized for their 2008 operation feed campaign for the Licking County Food Pantry Network. Hopewell employees sold shamrocks to raise funds for the campaign. They sold over 1,000 shamrocks for $1. In 2007, the Food Pantry served 622,275 meals to more than 84,000 individuals and approximately 50% of those recipients were children and infants.

Corporate America Family Credit Union, Warrenville, Ill., teamed up with local business to help raise bike safety awareness at the third annual Warrenville bike rodeo. Residents gathered in the Warrenville City Hall parking lot to learn how to protect themselves and their children while riding their bikes. Participants entered tow in one of 19 bicycles and were able to donate their old bike to an organization that repairs them for reuse.