Press Contact:
Liz McNulty
Chartway Federal Credit Union
757-552-1000 x43699
cemcnulty@chartway.com

Chartway Federal Credit Union’s We Promise Foundation® earned top honors as “Best in the Nation” for its corporate philanthropy program by the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Recognition Award Program.  Recognized for its commitment to helping children with life-threatening illnesses and severe hardship, the entry submitted by the credit union’s foundation was judged against 22 other entries from across the country in the “over $500 million in assets” category after first garnering first place honors as the 2008 Virginia state-level winner last fall. 

The We Promise Foundation’s community service record is both significant and inspiring; volunteers passionately dedicated more than 2,500 hours to support the foundation’s mission to ‘Put a smile on a child’s face by making their dream come true.’ Through the remarkable support of donors and event sponsors, the foundation awarded grants of more than $360,000 to benefit children’s charities, including Virginia and Texas chapters of The Make-A-Wish Foundation. 

The focus of this year’s award submission was the “Black Tie & Bogeys” Annual Fundraising Campaign encapsulating the 2nd Annual Diamonds in the Sky Gala (a black-tie silent and live auction event) and the 9th Annual Charity Golf Classic which raised more than $285,000 alone.  Since 1999, Chartway and its foundation have raised nearly $2 million to make dreams come true for 408 courageous children battling life-threatening illnesses.  Inspired by one little girl named Julie who bravely fought and won her battle with cancer, the foundation was born to help more children realize their dreams at a time when something wonderful can make all the difference in the midst of severe duress .
 
“We are so honored and thrilled to have received this distinguished national honor,” says Chartway Federal Credit Union CEO, Ron Burniske.  “For the past decade, our Chartway family has been truly changed and inspired by the difference we’ve been able to make in the lives of children fighting for their lives, especially right here in our own community.  To help these kids and their families by giving them the gift of joy when they need it the most has been a life-changing journey for all of us.”

Sponsored by the Virginia Credit Union League and the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the Social Responsibility Recognition Award Program recognizes credit unions that have implemented outstanding social projects addressing community problems and raising awareness and funds for charitable organizations.  The statewide competition is named after Dora Maxwell, one of the founders of the credit union movement, whose career was characterized by tireless work on behalf of her community and working class families in the 1930s and 1940s.
 
"Chartway is a recognized leader among Virginia’s credit unions in community service, owed to its commitment, compassion and creativity,” said Rick Pillow, President of the Virginia Credit Union League, one of the award program’s sponsors. “Through its support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Chartway is giving hope, strength and joy to local children with life-threatening medical conditions.”
 
Since 1992, Chartway and its foundation have received a total of ten Virginia Dora Maxwell Awards and a National Honorable Mention.  Chartway Federal Credit Union’s Board of Directors, lead by Chairman Lou Gull, was accompanied by President & CEO Ron Burniske and We Promise Chairman Phil Richards to accept this prestigious award at the CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference in Washington D.C. in February 2009.

Chartway’s We Promise Foundation looks forward to the return of the prestigious Diamonds in the Sky Gala and Annual Charity Golf Classic this fall on Sept. 2 & 3, 2009, respectively.  New this year is the addition of the Beach Century Bike Tour on May 9, 2009, a 100-mile bicycle ride from Chesapeake, Virginia through the beautiful country roads to Columbia, North Carolina to complement an ongoing series of special events and activities designed to give deserving children the strength and encouragement they need to persevere through unthinkable hardship.

About Chartway Federal Credit Union
Chartway FCU, a not-for-profit financial institution, has been serving members and families since 1959, building a service network that includes 64 branches in 10 states. Headquartered in Virginia Beach, VA, the credit union’s reach extends through Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia and Utah. HeritageWest Credit Union and SouthWest Community Credit Union joined the Chartway family in 2010. Utah Central became part of the organization in 2011. Altogether, the organization has assets of more than $1.9 billion, and serves 230,000 members. For more information, visit www.chartway.com; or, follow them at www.facebook.com/chartwayfcu.