The timing of the conclusion of FAA Credit Union's promotion of storm shelter loans proved ironic.
It had been scheduled on April 13, the start of what the $500 million Oklahoma City credit union described in a press release as "one scary, storm-filled weekend."
In fact, this year's promotion came as a series of tornadoes raked suburban Norman, the home of the University of Oklahoma, and surrounding areas, causing a dozen injuries and damaging cars and residences there. Six people were killed in the small town of Woodward, Okla.
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Alison Wolf, vice president of marketing, said FAA had planned the promotion after last year's major storms as the credit union started witnessing a big demand for storm shelter loans.
"We started a new product line to offer them and then we thought, wouldn't it be great to give one away? So we incorporated it into our marketing plan with the drawing scheduled for April 13," Wolf said. A Moore resident, Steve Foster, was the lucky winner "and was thrilled to receive the call" said Wolf. He had fared well in the mid-April storms "but as any Oklahoma resident knows, a shelter will be very useful for his family," Wolf said.
"We are thankful our members are safe and this helps us provide a safe place for another Oklahoma family," she said.
Foster will be getting the shelter installed at his home while the credit union cuts the check, she added.
FAA CU expects "to be part of the installation process so it can be displayed for all their members to see. It's a great thing when you can use your business to help people. That's what credit unions are all about," Wolf said.
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