Credit Union Raises Over $200,000 for Children's Hospitals

CREDIT UNION SACTOWN TEN MILE RUN RAISES MORE THAN $200,000 THANKS TO CO-OP MATCH

The 2014 Credit Union SacTown Ten-Mile Run raised more than $200,000 thanks to a recent CO-OP Miracle Match to Diablo Valley Federal Credit Union.

The $25,000 Miracle Match funds to the Concord, CA-based Diablo Valley FCU will be distributed to the following Children’s Miracle Network hospitals:  Children’s Hospital of Central California in Fresno, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego, Renown Children’s Hospital in Reno, Children’s Hospital Orange County, UC Davis Children’s Hospital, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, and UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland.

“We are thrilled to be approved for the Miracle Match,” said Diablo Valley FCU CEO John Pamer. “Many thanks to CO-OP for this wonderful program that will help sick or injured children have access to the resources they need for healing. More than $171,000 of the money raised in this year’s event will go to Children’s Miracle Network hospitals—and this was only our third year.”

“CO-OP is pleased to partner with Diablo Valley to support the SacTown 10 event, which benefits CMN hospitals throughout California and Nevada,” said Sarah Canepa Bang, president/COO, CO-OP Shared Branching – FSCC and chief strategy officer, CO-OP Shared Branching.

The event—which took place Sunday, April 6 in downtown Sacramento, CA—was sponsored by CU Miracle Day, Inc., along with 55 credit unions and credit union businesses, including the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues.

The “SacTown” race—which includes a three-person relay and other lively festivities, and is also designed to increase national awareness of credit unions—took place the same day as the 41st Annual Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten-Mile Run in Washington D.C., followed by the Credit Union Freedom Runs for troops overseas. Combined, the “Family of Races” raised $487,000 for CMN hospitals across the country.

More than 1,200 runners—including more than 500 credit union employees and members—participated in the race, which started and finished in front of the state capitol building, with a $15,000-prize purse awarded. About 170 credit union staff and members worked the event as volunteers. Rep. Ami Bera, D-CA, served as the official starter of the race. The Sacramento-area congressman and his wife, Janice, also ran in the race.

Launched in 2008, CO-OP's Miracle Match Program is a philanthropic matching program that encourages credit unions, chapters, and leagues to create and participate in local Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH) fundraisers. In 2013, the program—along with 154 participating credit unions—helped raised more than $3 million for 98 Children’s Miracle Network hospitals in 34 states. For more information, click on http://www.co-opfs.org/miracle-match.