Astoria Federal Savings Announces Top Winners of Its 3rd Annual Teach Children to Save Essay Contest

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    LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Astoria Federal Savings
 held its third annual essay contest for children, ages 5-12, asking the
 students to complete the statement: "If I save a lot today, in the future I
 could ... " The essay contest was part of Astoria Federal's fun and
 educational Teach Children to Save Celebrations beginning April 29, in
 every neighborhood branch throughout Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk and
 Westchester.
 
     (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080815/NYF052 )
 
     Astoria Federal's local branch managers each selected one winner, and
 the seven top winners were selected from among these finalists. The grand
 prize winner was 9-year-old Connor Molloy from Garden City, who received a
 new personal computer for his essay, in which he expressed his heartfelt
 wishes to help people who have cancer by inventing a drug that had no
 harmful side effects. This drug, Connor explains, "would only beat up and
 destroy bad cancer cells. It would also make sure that bad cells would not
 come back." Connor hopes that instead of losing their hair, "People taking
 the medicine would want cake and candy all the time."
 
     Three first-place winners were chosen, and each received a $500 Savings
 Bond. They are:
 
 
    -- 7-year-old Lara Ellentuck from Dix Hills
     -- 8-year-old Olivia Richards from Astoria
     -- 11-year-old Alexandria Best from Medford
 
     Three second-place winners were chosen, and each received a $250
 Savings Bond. They are:
 
 
    -- 7-year-old Crystal Jaiserie from Brooklyn
     -- 9-year-old John Munroe from N. Massapequa
     -- 11-year-old Anthony Tolba of Brooklyn
 
     Every child who was selected as a local winner from their community won
 a $50 U.S. Savings Bond, a Teach Children to Save Celebration Award
 Certificate and an Education First medal. The top seven winners and their
 families were invited to a reception at Astoria Federal's Lake Success
 Headquarters on July 24th, where they were congratulated by Astoria Federal
 executives and received their prizes.
 
     According to Astoria Federal Senior Vice President and Director of
 Marketing Brian Edwards, the community bank is committed to improving
 financial literacy in young people because it serves as a foundation for
 financial health as an adult. "The principle of saving money is a lesson
 that is best taught at an early age. As one essay author said, simply 'fill
 up your piggy bank ... when it is extremely full take it to Astoria Federal
 and add it to your account.' That's sound advice that spans generations,
 whether you are counting pennies in a piggy bank, cashing a paycheck or
 managing investments."
 
     Edwards added that the judges were impressed with the youngsters'
 ability to look well into the future. Many said they would use their saved
 money for college, to establish a business or to help others less
 fortunate.
 
     "This contest is just one of the fun, engaging ways to promote
 financial literacy to young people in our communities," said Edwards.
 Astoria Federal's Education First initiatives include the Student Savers
 and Bank-at-School programs, as well as the Kids Tools for School
 Collection Drive to help children be prepared on the first day of school by
 providing them with new school supplies, and The First Home Club(TM) to
 promote homeownership. These programs and others were all designed to
 encourage lifelong learning in the communities Astoria Federal serves. For
 additional information about Astoria Federal's Education First financial
 literacy programs, please call 1-800-ASTORIA.
 
     Astoria Financial Corporation, with assets of $21.6 billion, is the
 holding company for Astoria Federal Savings and Loan Association.
 Established in 1888, Astoria Federal, with deposits in New York totaling
 $13.1 billion, is the largest thrift depository headquartered in New York
 and embraces its philosophy of "Putting people first" by providing the
 customers and local communities it serves with quality financial products
 and services through 85 convenient banking office locations and multiple
 delivery channels, including its enhanced website, www.astoriafederal.com.
 Astoria Federal commands the fourth largest deposit market share in the
 attractive Long Island market, which includes Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and
 Suffolk counties with a population exceeding that of 38 individual states.
 Astoria Federal originates mortgage loans through its banking offices and
 loan production offices in New York, an extensive broker network covering
 twenty-two states, primarily the East Coast, and the District of Columbia,
 and through correspondent relationships covering twenty-nine states and the
 District of Columbia.
 
 
 

SOURCE Astoria Federal Savings