A Big Win For Washington Students In STEM
KENT, Wash., Dec. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tuesday night BECU announced the winners of its 2017 People Helping People Awards, recognizing BECU members and the non-profits they support with their time, talents and donations. FIRST Washington received BECU's People's Choice Award and was granted $30,000 for its efforts in increasing access and opportunity in STEM fields through its robotics competitions for kids, K-12th grade.
"The remarkable work these organizations are accomplishing in our communities is as inspiring as it is impactful," said Tom Berquist, senior vice president of Marketing and Cooperative Affairs. "These awards support and celebrate the causes our members are most passionate about. For BECU, People Helping People is more than just a phrase; it's part of our mission, part of our culture."
This year, more than 230 BECU members nominated their favorite, local non-profits serving the Puget Sound region and beyond. The winning organizations are tackling a broad range of important issues including homelessness, healthcare, education, poverty and hunger.
FIRST Washington joins a group of 17 other non-profits that support causes BECU members are passionate about. Organizations received awards ranging from $15,000 to $50,000 in five categories: Member Volunteer of the Year, People's Choice, Employee's Choice, Past People Helping People Recipient's Choice and Community Benefit.
About FIRST Washington
FIRST Washington is a nonprofit organization offering free mentor-based after-school programs that ignite youthful minds through education, hard work, and healthy competition. Currently, over 11,000 young people (six to 18 years old) participate in Washington and are supported by over 5,500 coaches, mentors and volunteers. FIRST builds a robust future pipeline of STEM professionals by engaging students in STEM fields early. The four after school programs include: FIRST LEGO League Jr. (6? 10); FIRST LEGO League (9 -14); FIRST Tech Challenge (7? 2); FIRST Robotics Competition (9-12). For more information on FIRST Washington visit: http://www.firstwa.org/.
About BECU
BECU is a not-for-profit credit union owned by its members. Members receive the benefits of ownership through better rates and fewer fees. With more than 1 million members and over $17 billion in assets, BECU is the largest credit union in Washington and one of the top five financial cooperatives in the country. BECU currently operates more than 45 locations in Washington and two financial centers in South Carolina. For more information, visit www.becu.org.
Contact:
Peggy Gray
[email protected]
206-276-4436
SOURCE FIRST Washington
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