It's hard to believe that 2021 is coming to a close! As we wrap up another busy year, Wright-Patt Credit Union's (WPCU) Columbus Business Development Representative team would like to share some of the impactful ways we've been spending our time in the community this fall and winter. We've been very fortunate to support local organizations and community partners such as our local Chambers of Commerce, The African American Male Wellness Agency, LifeCare Alliance, Festival For Good, The North Market and more!
Fall Festivities
We kicked off the month of October by attending Old Worthington Market Day, a longtime annual tradition hosted by the Worthington Area Chamber of Commerce. For many years now, we've been proud to support this event, which features over a hundred local artisans presenting quality hand-crafted goods on the streets of downtown Worthington.
Following Market Day, we attended Big Wheels, the signature fundraising event presented by LifeCare Alliance to support their Meals on Wheels program. We love attending events in October because we're able to get out into the community and have fun with Halloween-themed events. One favorite fall festivity is the Reynoldsburg community's Treat Trail. Families come dressed to impress in their costumes and stock up on all the sweets they can — and we were ready for them this year!
The North Market Night Market series also wrapped up in October, which is a spectacular event held throughout the summer and fall. What we enjoy most about the Night Market is the relaxing environment focused on community, good food and live music. Our partnership with North Market was enhanced this year with the opening of their new Bridgepark location in Dublin. This beautiful space hosted a sold-out event for their Taste of the Market Gala and we were among the lucky ones to attend! It was a wonderful evening shared with some of our local partners and an ideal event to celebrate our ongoing relationships.
Community Support
This fall, WPCU also participated in the African American Male Wellness Agency's Men's Health Week and had the unique opportunity to discuss generational wealth in the open-dialogue financial wellness summit. Another annual event we had the pleasure of supporting was the 2021 Festival for Good, which highlights social enterprises creating a social impact in Central Ohio. We love supporting these businesses at Festival for Good so they can continue to address social challenges in our community, such as education and mentorship for survivors of human and sex trafficking, employment for formerly incarcerated individuals and teaching job skills to homeless youth, just to name a few.
Holiday Lights Celebration
In December, we had the pleasure of participating in Gahanna's Holiday Lights Celebration, an annual festival and tree lighting ceremony held in the beautiful Creekside District. WPCU was set up right next to the Christmas tree, where a table was stocked with everything kids needed to write letters to Santa and drop them in his special mailbox. This event was the ultimate holiday experience, complete with train rides, craft stations, a parade, dance performances and much more.
Networking at the National Veterans Memorial Museum
Our final WPCU Columbus Networking Event took place on Friday, December 10th at the National Veterans Memorial Museum. This space is stunning at any time of the year, but particularly around the holidays. The museum's large arching windows overlook the entire city, which was illuminated by twinkling lights on the trees and buildings alike. This networking event was truly a special one to close out a fantastic year, and we look forward to hosting four similar-style networking events in 2022.
Celebrating the Corporate Citizenship Awards
Each year, Columbus Business First takes time to recognize the organizations that are doing good in the community. This can include everything from raising funds for charities or non-profits to collective volunteer hours from their employees. We were honored to attend this year's Corporate Citizenship Awards and interact with like-minded companies and corporations. We look forward to seeing what this event will look like for WPCU in the coming year!
Overall, 2021 was a record year for Wright-Patt Credit Union's community engagement efforts in Central Ohio. We are grateful for the opportunity to support so many local organizations, non-profits and community members. It truly sets the bar high for 2022, but with our growing footprint in Columbus, we'll be ready. We look forward to seeing you at future events!
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