Busey Bank, Forreston State Bank and Standard Bank and Trust presented with Illinois Bankers Association Community Service Awards

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Busey Bank, Forreston State Bank and Standard Bank and Trust were honored as 2013 Illinois Bank Community Service Award winners by the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA). The awards were presented on June 26 during the 122^nd Annual IBA Conference and Trade Show held at the Hyatt Regency at the Arch in St. Louis. This is the eleventh year for the Illinois Bank Community Service awards, which honor Illinois financial institutions that demonstrate a high level of service in their communities.

Here is a capsulated look at some of the winners' projects. This is by no means a comprehensive list of the many projects these banks have engaged in within their communities.

Busey Bank, Champaign

Busey and its associates give more than $1 million annually to make a positive difference in their communities, and, in 2012, associates logged more than 8,000 volunteer hours at nearly 400 different organizations. Their annual Community Promise Week is a way to educate and engage associates, customers and neighbors and demonstrates the impact of a helping hand. In April, more than 150 Busey associates, along with their families and neighbors, joined forces with area service organizations to give 720 hours back to their communities. Opportunities ranged from repacking food at local food banks to hosting a kickball game and cookout for residents at a senior living facility. Busey Bank Executive Vice President and Peoria Market President Dan Daly and Marketing & Creative Services Manager Deanna Capel accepted the award on behalf of the bank.    

Forreston State Bank, Forreston

Forreston State Bank has partnered with EverFi through the Illinois Bankers Association to provide a state-of-the-art online financial literacy program for high school students at their local school. The EverFi program was used in the Ag Business class and the Consumer Education class. Each year the bank also sponsors and organizes a golf outing for the Forrestville Valley School Foundation, and the proceeds from this outing, which topped $10,000, support local district teachers with mini grants for extra classroom curriculum and scholarships for graduating seniors. The bank also donates funds to the Cancer Society as well as sponsors a Relay for Life Team, raising nearly $4,000. Forreston State Bank and its 15 employees are actively involved in FFA Alumni, Civil War presentations, Sports Boosters, the Forrestville Valley Foundation, American Cancer Society, American Legion, and numerous other organizations. Forreston State Bank President and CEO Jeff Snyder accepted the award on behalf of the bank.

Standard Bank and Trust, Hickory Hills

During its 66‐year history, Standard Bank and Trust has maintained a genuine commitment to the communities it serves. In 2012, out of the bank's 600 employees, 128 volunteered their time and services to 172 organizations. Over the past two years, Standard Bank and Trust has created 58 financial education programs, many offered in Spanish, to help community members become informed consumers of financial services and better able to access financial products, and nearly 1,000 individuals in their communities attended. In addition to many other programs, including the American Heart Association and Junior Achievement, the bank also holds a month‐long, bank‐wide effort each year to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In 2012, they raised nearly $18,000 through community and employee contributions, and in 2013, that number totaled more than $28,000. Standard Bank and Trust Executive Vice President Wealth Management Dave Spedale accepted the award on behalf of the bank.

The Illinois Bankers Association is a full-service trade association dedicated to creating a positive business climate that benefits the entire banking industry and the communities they serve. Founded in 1891, the IBA brings together state and national banks, savings banks, and savings and loan associations of all sizes in Illinois. Collectively, the IBA represents nearly 90 percent of the assets of the Illinois banking industry, which employs more than 100,000 men and women in over 5,000 offices across the state.

SOURCE Illinois Bankers Association