Phoenix Mercury And BBVA Compass Announce Winner Of Its "Bright Futures Women In Business" Promotion

PHOENIX, June 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Phoenix Mercury and BBVA Compass have officially announced Backpacks 4 Kids AZ, Inc. as the winner of the second annual "Bright Futures Women in Business" promotion, an initiative designed to support women-owned businesses and create opportunity for a brighter future throughout the Valley.

The four-week program encouraged leaders from women-owned businesses to write a short essay expressing how $2,500 in cash and $5,000 in Phoenix Mercury assets, courtesy of BBVA Compass and its 2017 "Year of Opportunity for Small Businesses" initiative, will make the future of their business brighter. The contest ran through June 15, and a panel of judges from the Mercury and BBVA Compass selected the winner after weeks of deliberating on the submission pool.

"BBVA Compass knows the important role that small businesses play in thriving communities and Backpacks 4 Kids AZ, Inc. is an organization that is truly aligned with the bank's mission of creating opportunities for bright futures," said BBVA Compass Phoenix CEO Brad Parker. "This organization realizes the need for school supplies for children who live in low-income communities, and that's exactly the kind of community involvement we immerse ourselves in at BBVA Compass. They are truly creating opportunities for children to do well in school and create their own bright future. We are proud to recognize Backpacks 4 Kids AZ, Inc."

"We are proud to partner with BBVA Compass to do all we can to support women in business, and we are thrilled to honor a great non-profit like Backpacks 4 Kids AZ, Inc. that has its roots in seeing a problem in our community and identifying a solution. We were moved by Kaitlyn's story and could not be happier to make a contribution to help the organization's mission of improving the lives of underserved kids in our community," said Phoenix Mercury Vice President Vince Kozar. 

Backpacks 4 Kids AZ, Inc., created by Kaitlyn Martinez when she was just 11 years old in 2015, is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing disadvantaged children living in Arizona with backpacks full of school supplies. Martinez started the organization when one of her friends failed a writing assignment because she did not have pencils and paper at home and "was too embarrassed to tell the teacher." More information can be found at backpacks4kidsaz.com. 

Backpacks 4 Kids AZ, Inc. will receive an on-court check presentation and recognition during halftime of tonight's game against the Minnesota Lynx. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. Fans can visit PhoenixMercury.com/promos to view a complete schedule of theme nights, fan giveaways and exciting promotional opportunities.

About BBVA Compass

BBVA Compass is a Sunbelt-based financial institution that operates 657 branches, including 342 in Texas, 89 in Alabama, 63 in Arizona, 61 in California, 45 in Florida, 38 in Colorado and 19 in New Mexico. BBVA Compass ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. commercial banks based on deposit market share and ranks among the largest banks in Alabama (2nd), Texas (4th) and Arizona (5th). BBVA Compass has been recognized as one of the leading small business lenders by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and ranked 5th nationally in the total number of SBA loans originated in fiscal year 2016. Additional information about BBVA Compass can be found at www.bbvacompass.com. For more BBVA Compass news, follow @BBVACompassNews on Twitter or visit newsroom.bbvacompass.com.

- PhoenixMercury.com -

SOURCE BBVA Compass

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