It all started with a conversation about local school spirit days and how fun it is to dress up! How could we use a similar idea to encourage our employees and communities to rally together for a good cause? We combined that idea with the widely known #givingtuesday that follows Thanksgiving each year, and #GivingFridays was born.
Every Friday during the months of October and November, Bank of Forest employees across all three branches, dressed for a certain theme to bring awareness to various community needs. It was decided our ultimate goal would be a donation to Friends of Children’s Hospital. As the only children’s hospital in the state, Children’s of Mississippi has touched the lives of almost every employee. With a cause so near and dear to all of our hearts, Bank of Forest pledged to match individual donations up to $100 per person!
10/01 – Pink Out for Breast Cancer Awareness. We have all been personally touched in some way by cancer and wanted to bring special attention to this cause.
10/08 – Luau. Bright colors and Hawaiian Leis called attention to our donation canisters in the lobby.
10/15 – Salute to First Responders. Bank staff served meals to area first responders in thanks of all they do for our community while wearing red and blue.
10/22 – Team Spirit Day. Employees sported their favorite team colors and officers visited area football teams with sweet treats for game day
10/29 – Fall Festival. Fall shirts and décor welcomed customers. Donations on this day allowed the customer to play games and win prizes.
11/05 – Western Day Round-up had us corralling canned foods for our local food pantry.
11/12 – God Bless America. In honor of Veterans who fought for our country, each branch set up a table to display customer and employee photos of local veterans. Staff wore red, white, & blue in observance.
11/19 – Camo Day. We were “hunting” for donations as our fundraising time came closer to an end.
11/26 – Tis the Season. Bank of Forest ended our time of fundraising and kicked off the Christmas season with festive shirts and sweaters.
11/30 – What better gift to give on #GivingTuesday, than the gift of life. Bank of Forest collaborated with Mississippi Blood Services for a blood drive to close out our campaign.
At the end of our campaign, Bank of Forest matched all donations and proudly announced a $10,000 total donation to Friends of Children’s Hospital. The entire event brought our staff and community together for a great cause. It was so touching to see employees embrace each spirit day knowing their efforts would help others. With branches in three counties, Bank of Forest is proud to be part of such loving and supportive communities.
