Press
Affinity Plus volunteers and makes donation in support of Tri Angels Playground in River Falls, WI
ST. PAUL, MN. (June 30, 2015) — On Saturday, June 27, 10 employees and members of Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union volunteered to help construct the new Tri-Angels Playground in River Falls, Wis., a park that memorializes the lives of three girls, Amara, Sophie, and Cecilia, whose lives were tragically taken in 2012. The credit union volunteered alongside local businesses, family members and friends in this community build event.
As the lien holder on the property where this tragedy occurred, Affinity Plus has been interwoven throughout this story over the past three years.
In September of 2013, Affinity Plus coordinated the deconstruction of the house – piece by piece, donating all usable materials – and when the land sold in March of 2015, donated the proceeds of the land to the playground project. The credit union later increased its contribution to $50,000 to become the final Pillar Sponsor at the park, allowing the fundraisers to reach their goal of collecting $555,000 and begin construction on the park as scheduled.
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Brian Volkmann represented Affinity Plus at the check presentation ceremony on Saturday. He shared sentiments from Affinity Plus that have been received by the credit union’s leadership team from members and employees of the credit union about how proud they are to be members of an organization that is involved and supportive of the girls’ family.
“Our intention was always to do the right thing, and I am so proud to work for an organization that has supported this incredible effort,” Volkmann said. “It was a tremendous experience to volunteer alongside others from the community who share the same passion of building a place that would honor the lives of the girls.”
The Tri-Angels Playground is scheduled to officially open to the public in mid-August in conjunction with the 3rd annual Tri-Angels 5K event. It will span a total of 8,000 square feet and will be universally accessible for people of all abilities.
Information about the Tri Angels Park including its location, construction timeline and how to make a contribution can be found on its website at https://www.unlimitedplay.org/tri-angels-playground/.
Pictured: (Top) Volunteers from Affinity Plus pose with Jessica, Amara, Sophie, and Cecilia’s mom. (Bottom) Volunteers from Affinity Plus raise ladder that will be climbing feature on new playground.
Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit, financial cooperative that puts people first above profits. Members of Affinity Plus receive maximum value through competitive rates, minimal fees, and unique, member-centric products and programs. Affinity Plus has 27 branches located throughout the state. With over $1.7 billion in assets with $3.5 billion in assets under management, Affinity Plus is based in St. Paul and is owned by more than 180,000 members. Additional information is available at www.affinityplus.org or by calling (800) 322-7228.