For us here at Central, there aren’t many months busier than October. I’m not talking about from a business perspective; I’m talking about fun, exciting community events! As you may have heard, or seen from signage at our branches, October is our birthday month! On October 1, 1884 we opened our doors for the first time in Junction City. We’ve grown just a bit since then and continue to grow today.

No one wants to celebrate a birthday for just one day, so we chose to celebrate ours for the whole month! Various locations have been holding activities throughout the month for the community to join in on such as open houses or small birthday parties. The week of October 15-19 was also spirit week! Spirit days included Superhero Day, CNB Blue Day, Twins Day, Throwback Day and Favorite Team Day. This led up to our big employee bank birthday party the following Saturday. Employees and their families were invited for a day of fun activities at Frank Anneberg Park in Manhattan. Below are some of our favorite photos from the branches who participated in spirit week.

Our Salina staff participating in Marvel Monday by wearing their favorite superhero costume.
Lacy Osbourn showing off her CNB spirit by getting decked out in CNB Blue.
Debbie Gillespie and her daughter, Shannon sure do look like twins!
Our staff at Topeka Quincy each dressing to a different decade on Throwback Thursday.
Our Superior, NE location got in on the fun by wearing their favorite sports team on Fan Day Friday!

The bank birthday isn’t the only exciting event Central plays a part in every October. On October 11, our annual United Way campaign kicked off in Junction City. For the 30 days that follow, our Junction City staff will be raising money in various ways for United Way. For the past few years, the staff members in Junction City have been involved in achieving Platinum Pacesetter status, which means they contribute over $15,000 to the campaign drive. In fact, they’ve raised over $20,000 the last five years in a row. These contributions are used by United Way for a variety of community services including the following organizations: YMCA, Special Olympics, Food Pantry, the Crisis Center, Kansas Legal Services, The Open Door, Delivering Change and United Way’s Stuff the Bus Campaign.

While most would assume that the bank paid a majority of the contribution, there is actually very little bank funding that goes into the sum. A large chunk of the funds come from staff payroll deductions. We have very community-minded staff members who are invested in the welfare of our community, and are very thankful our organization is blessed with such generous employees!

We also have several very big fundraising events that are open to the community, and you don’t want to miss them. Of course, one has already passed. On Wednesday the 17th, we hosted a biscuit and gravy feed at the main bank in Junction City at 802 N Washington. We had an overwhelming level of support from the community and almost ran out of food! We would like to thank everyone that stopped by for a delicious breakfast and to donate to United Way.

If you missed out on the first event, there’s no reason to pout! Wednesday, October 24th you can join us for lunch! Come by our branch at 802 N Washington in Junction City between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm for a bowl of chili and a famous Rock Springs 4-H Center cinnamon roll! There will be one other community meal event you should mark on your calendar. On the 7th of November, we will have a baked potato bar during lunch, again from 11:30 am until 1:00 pm, with potatoes donated from Coach’s Grill & Bar.

All food events are open to the public and we have to-go boxes on hand if you’re in a hurry, or running late. All proceeds from public events go to the United Way of Junction City since all of the ingredients for the feed are generously donated by employees. We hope to see you there!

How else do we raise over $20,000 during one month of the year?!?

There are other events going on at our branches! Most are fun games for employees to enjoy. Things like a silent auction, pumpkin decorating contest, bake sales in the break room and a new event called “spooking”. Spooking involves employees paying to have a co-worker’s office decorated. So, if you walk in to a Junction City branch and see an overly decorated office, it’s very likely the latest victim. Themes include flamingos and Halloween “spooky” decor.

The pumpkin decorating contest kicks off soon. And each pumpkin will have a bucket nearby so customers have an opportunity to donate their change to the cause. The pumpkin with the most donations will be the winner.

The bottom line is, so many wonderful people give their money and their time to make this fundraiser happen every year, and we’re proud to call them our employees and our friends.

Questions about how we conduct our fundraising in Junction City? Send an email to info@centralnational.com, or talk to your local Junction City employees to learn more.

Central Celebrates By Giving Back
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