Meritrust Credit Union is engaging communities in its new market of Denver through a partnership with NBA player Christian Braun and his new foundation, which is focused on providing financial education for young athletes to help break poverty cycles in the Denver area.
The $4 billion, Wichita, Kan.-based Meritrust, which entered the Denver market via a merger with Premier Members Credit Union, has had a long-standing relationship with the University of Kansas as the Official Financial Well-Being Partner of Kansas Athletics and the Exclusive Credit Union of Kansas Athletics. Braun, who now plays with the Denver Nuggets, is a Kansas native and played collegiate basketball at the University of Kansas.
“Financial education and money management are very important to me,” said Braun, who was a first-round selection by the Denver Nuggets in the 2022 NBA Draft and is one of five players in basketball history to win NCAA and NBA titles in back-to-back seasons. “I want to use my platform as a professional basketball player to help educate people in our community, especially young athletes. Partnering with Meritrust just made sense because this is what they do.”
As part of the partnership, Meritrust becomes the Official Financial Well-Being Partner and exclusive banking partner of the new Braun Foundation. Together, Meritrust and the foundation will offer financial education camps, workshops and outreach initiatives across Metro-Denver neighborhoods centered around budgeting, savings, investing and credit management.
“At Meritrust, our entire purpose is helping people improve their relationship with money and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with Christian Braun and his foundation,” Meritrust EVP/Chief Growth Officer Jamie Harrison said. “This collaboration allows us to leverage the influence and passion of a respected athlete who shares our belief in financial well-being as a cornerstone of personal and community growth.”
UT Federal Credit Union ($551 million, Knoxville, Tenn.) is also using sports to extend financial education to its community, but this time off the court and on the ice. On Oct. 24, it kicked off a multi-year partnership with the Knoxville Ice Bears at the hockey team’s opening night game as President/CEO Kenyon Warren dropped the puck to mark the official start of the team’s 24th season.
The Knoxville Ice Bears will play on official UT Federal Credit Union Home Ice at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum through their 2029-2030 season. Together, the two organizations will introduce:
- Community programs focused on financial education for fans, players and staff;
- Exclusive perks for UTFCU members, including ticket offers and fan experiences; and
- Expanded brand presence, including UTFCU as the presenting sponsor of Ice Bears radio broadcasts and at Civic Coliseum events.
“We’re thrilled to be the Official Credit Union of the Knoxville Ice Bears,” UTFCU’s Warren said. “This collaboration strengthens our commitment to the Knoxville community. Together, we will create meaningful experiences that demonstrate the value of partnership between a hometown credit union and a hometown team.”
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