Raffl eBig Benefi t

The Capital Communications Cares Foundation raised $55,000 to help bolster its commitment to Capital Region organizations and charities with its BIG Benefi t Raffl e. The Foundation sold 3,000 tickets for one $10,000 grand prize, one $5,000 prize and fi ve $1,000 prizes. The winners were announced during a drawing on Thursday, May 8, at Capital Communications Federal Credit Union’s Main Offi ce branch.

The 2009 winner of the $10,000 grand prize is Jacan Hendrickson. Christine Bolton is the winner of the $5,000 prize, and the fi ve $1,000 winners are: Jesse Pascale, Linda LaBounty, Carol Langley, Jean Relyea and Charles Pitcher.

Twice a year, the Foundation sends care packages to soldiers serving abroad. SSG Paul Lavigne, a soldier who has received one of those care packages, was present to draw the winning tickets. SSG Lavigne, home from Iraq for the birth of his son, is also a Credit Union member.

LiteracyRun/Walk

Capital Communications Cares Foundation volunteers, runners and walkers helped raise money for the Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County at the 2009 Literacy Run/Walk. The 10th annual race was held at the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. The Foundation has been the run’s Patron Sponsor for the past fi ve years and partners with Literacy Volunteers on numerous fundraising events throughout the year. For the third year in a row, the Foundation will match donations raised for the Literacy Run by Troy’s PS 12 elementary school. With nearly 50 children and staff participating, PS 12 raised $1,200. The Foundation is committed to fi nancial literacy and education initiatives and has also partnered with the Literacy Volunteers to provide fi nancial literacy classes to its students.

Credit UnionCares forClassrooms

The Capital Communications Cares Foundation developed a new program in 2009 to help elementary school teachers purchase school supplies for their classrooms.

Pictured, Sarah Conboy of Craig Elementary School in Niskayuna, was one of fi ve teachers to receive money from the Foundation as part of the Capital Communications Cares for Classrooms program. The program, designed to support teachers who are promoting teamwork and community service in their classrooms, will also donate one $250 VISA® Gift Card each to teachers at Eagle Elementary School in Glenmont, Van Schaick Elementary School in Cohoes, the Thomas O’Brien Academy of Science and Technology in Albany and the Doyle Middle School in Troy.

HorsebackRiding

Children at Marillac Family Shelter were treated to a summer horseback ride and ice cream. The visit also included a demonstration by the New York State Police K-9 Unit and a local fi re company. For this special visit, Credit Union staff volunteered their personal time, and horses, so that as many as 50 children, and some of their parents, could enjoy a horse ride. Each child received a cowboy hat, a horse show ribbon, a framed picture of themselves on the horse and a cold treat from the Credit Union’s ice cream truck. “A critical piece of the Foundation’s mission is to make a diff erence in the lives of children and underprivileged families. Sometimes, that means more than making a monetary donation, but giving the children a lifelong memory and a glimmer of hope for better times ahead,” said Paula Stopera, Capital Communications Federal Credit Union President/CEO and Chairperson of the Foundation Board.

Play BallValley Cats

The Foundation has coordinated baseball clinics for children at Vanderhyden Hall over the last several years. The morning clinic includes instruction from the Tri-City ValleyCats and an opportunity for the children to meet some of the players as well as a visit from the Credit Union’s ice cream van.

The Foundation also made it possible for children at St. Catherine’s Center for Children to attend a Tri-City ValleyCats baseball game at Joe Bruno Stadium by donating tickets for their entry. The kids were treated to a night of baseball and memories, a hot dog and a soda. One lucky child also received the honor of throwing out the fi rst pitch of the game.

Foundation

tournamentGolf

The 14th annual Capital Communications Cares Foundation Golf Tournament was held on Monday June 8 at Wolferts Roost Country Club. Hosted by CAP COM Financial Services, LLC., the tournament raised $25,000 for the Capital Communications Federal Credit Union’s charitable Foundation.

Money raised by the golf tournament, one of the Foundation’s three annual fundraisers, will be used to help Capital Region families and organizations in need. The Foundation’s mission is to support community health and wellness programs, fi nancial literacy and educational initiatives, and underprivileged families.

Major sponsors of the event were: MorPAC Advantage Mortgage Services; AFLAC New York; RJ Gile Companies; Jaeger & Flynn Associates, Inc.; MFS; NestEgg Builders Corp.; Sneeringer Monihan Provost Redgrave; Murray and Zuckerman; PIMCO; Prudential; CUNA Mutual Group; Empire Appraisal Network; Computer Professionals International; Harris, Conway and Donovan; Time Warner Cable; Time Warner Telecom; Lemery Greisler; Woodward Connor Gillies Seleman Architects.

StridesOver the past 16 years Capital Communications Federal Credit Union and its Capital Communications Cares Foundation have donated more than $500,000 to the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. The cause is close to the hearts of many within our organization and the staff and members rally each year to support it. A team of 400 walkers in 2009 helped the Foundation raise more than $42,000 for Strides, adding a sixth edition to its collection of keepsake plush animals – Max the Moose. The animals are each named for a character trait that we hope they’ll bring to the survivors – Max reminds survivors to live life ‘to the max’ and to surround themselves with supportive family and friends.

Thanksgiving

BasketsThe Foundation has provided a healthy, traditional Thanksgiving dinner to more than 1,000 families since it was established in 2003. In 2009, 150 baskets were delivered to area organizations for distribution to families in the Capital Region, including St. Catherine’s Center for Children, Marillac Family Shelter, Visiting Nurses Association, St. Paul Center for Women and Children, Albany HeadStart and to the City of Cohoes.

It’s all about givingChristmas

In December, visits to Marillac Family Shelter and also the

Commission on Economic Opportunity’s Stepping Stones I School

in Lansingburgh ended the Foundation’s year of giving. Children at

Marillac Family Shelter received a visit from Santa and gift courtesy

of the Foundation. Santa also paid a visit to Stepping Stones I School

and the Foundation donated 200 winter coats for children at the

school.

We are proud to have reached a milestone in 2009, with more

than $1 million in monetary and in-kind donations to Capital Region

organizations and families in need.

To fi nd out how you can help us make a difference, visit

capcomfcu.org and click on the “Foundation” tab.