Alpine Bank, Bank & Trust Company and Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest Presented with Illinois Bankers Association Community Service Awards

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., June 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alpine Bank, Bank & Trust Company and Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest were honored as 2014 Illinois Bank Community Service Award winners by the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA). The awards were presented on June 17 during the 123^rd Annual IBA Conference and Trade Show held at the Swissôtel in Chicago. This is the twelfth 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.

Alpine Bank, Rockford
Alpine Bank is a local community bank serving 50,000 families and businesses in Winnebago, Boone and DeKalb Counties in Northern Illinois. The bank has been extremely involved in their local community, including hosting community shred days, participating in the Rockford Pro-Am, and working with and supporting Transform Rockford, a regional long-term planning effort to dramatically improve the social and economic condition of the Rockford region. In all, the bank supports more than 300 local organizations through financial sponsorships and contributions.  Rob Funderburg, Jr., chairman, accepted the award on behalf of the bank.  

Bank & Trust Company, Litchfield
For 100 years, Bank & Trust has maintained a firm commitment to enhance and serve its local community. As a sponsor of EverFi, the online financial scholars program, the bank is helping to prepare young adults for the challenges of real-life money management. They also are the sole sponsor of "Choices," an annual week-long teaching series involving experts in many fields that exposes 8^th graders to the options and challenges they will face as they enter adulthood. Bank employees have particularly embraced and funded projects that provide much needed clothing and toys for underprivileged younger children in the community.  Kent Redfern, president and CEO, accepted the award on behalf of the bank.

Community Bank of Oak Park River Forest
Community Bank estimates that its directors, officers and staff donate more than 7,600 hours of volunteer time every year – an average of 152 hours per person! In addition, the bank is involved with numerous programs and projects, including working with Christ the King Charter School by sponsoring and providing tuition to students who work two days a week in the bank. Community Bank is also one of the single largest sources of financial support for the Oak Park Regional Housing Center, and two of their executives serve on their Board of Directors. To keep Oak Park a vibrant community, the Oak Park Economic Development Corporation, a private, not-for-profit-corporation, was established in 1974 by area banks and businesses. Its longtime Chairman is Bank Chairman Marty Noll. Bank president Walter Healy 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 and savings banks 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