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A total of 36,848 votes were cast for 35 nonprofit organizations during the Merchants Bank “Growing Community” $10,000 Facebook giveaway.
The giveaway ran from November 5 to December 15, and the organizations were spread across the area served by Merchants’ 18 locations in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
“The response was enthusiastic from organizations of all different sizes. It was gratifying to see smaller organizations organize their support across different platforms, especially social media,” said Mark Metzler, Media and Communications Officer at Merchants. “It is fair to say that the response exceeded our expectations for the giveaway, and that we will strongly consider doing this again in the future.”
Supporters of organizations could vote up to three times a day on the Merchants Bank Facebook page, and they were encouraged to “share” their support with friends. “The best part of the giveaway is that members of the communities we serve were able to help us direct our community giving through the votes they cast,” Metzler said. “This is consistent and supports what our bank presidents do with the funds they reinvest into their communities.”
A complete list of votes received and money awarded during the giveaway is available on Merchants Bank’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MerchantsBank. Funds, based on the votes received, will be awarded to the organizations in the near future.
The participating nonprofits, and the bank location that nominated the nonprofit, are noted below:
Kids N’ Kinship – Apple Valley
Caledonia Community Celebrations – Caledonia
Camp Winnebago – Caledonia
Caledonia Lions – Caledonia
Cannon Falls Education Foundation – Cannon Falls
Friends in Need Food Shelf – Cottage Grove
Beyond the Yellow Ribbon – Cottage Grove
Youth Services Bureau – Cottage Grove
Hastings Family Service – Hastings
Black Dirt Theater – Hastings
La Crescent Public Library – La Crescent
ISD 300 Scholarship Foundation – La Crescent
La Crescent Animal Rescue – La Crescent
360 Communities – Lakeville
Highview Hills – Lakeville
La Crosse Area Family YMCA – Onalaska
Gateway Area Council Boy Scouts of America – Onalaska
Riverfest Commodore Foundation – Onalaska
United Way of Goodhue, Wabasha & Pierce Counties – Red Wing
Red Wing Care Clinic – Red Wing
Environmental Learning Center -- Red Wing
Rochester Area Habitat for Humanity – Rochester
Zumbro Valley Mental Health – Rochester
Gift of Life Transplant House – Rochester
Rosemount Family Resource Center – Rosemount
Beyond the Yellow Ribbon – Rosemount
Rosemount Area Arts Council – Rosemount
Bluff Country Artist Gallery – Spring Grove
Ye Olde Opera House – Spring Grove
Spring Grove Public Library – Spring Grove
Winona Area Humane Society – St. Charles
St. Charles Foundation for Academic Excellence – St. Charles
Whitewater Area Wellness Center – St. Charles
Grace Place – Winona
Winona Volunteer Services – Winona
There are a total of 18 Merchants Bank locations serving the communities of Winona, St. Charles, Goodview, Rochester, Caledonia, La Crescent, Onalaska, Spring Grove, Cannon Falls, Red Wing, Hampton and the southern Twin Cities metropolitan suburbs of Apple Valley, Cottage Grove, Hastings, Lakeville and Rosemount. The “flagship” Merchants Bank in Winona was founded in 1875. All banks are FDIC members and equal housing lenders. Merchants Capital, the company’s leasing arm, is based in the Twin Cities.
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