Attendance increases ten-fold at Celebration of Cooperatives and Community
MADISON, WI (October 16, 2013) -- In celebration of cooperatives and what they contribute to communities, Summit Credit Union hosted the third-annual “Co-op Connection” event on October 5.
The credit union, together with CUNA Mutual, CUNA, Wisconsin Credit Union League and several cooperative organizations, attracted more than 4,000 people — more than ten times the number of 2012 attendees— to the free public event, which kicked off national co-op month.
“This year, we brought Co-op Connection to the street, right next to Madison’s famous farmer’s market where we could reach many more people with the cooperative message,” said Kimberly Frederickson, VP of financial education and business development at Summit and team leader for the event. “The event included 22 interactive booths, demonstrations, kids’ activities, prize drawings, free product samples and featured live music from three local musicians, including The Disclosures, a music duo that writes songs and performs presentations about the importance of financial literacy and social responsibility.”
Madison Mayor Paul Soglin also spoke about the big part co-ops play in our local economy and quality of life.
“In every community, cooperatives are capable of providing a wide range of services — and wealth —in both our personal and professional lives,” said Soglin. “The key to cooperative growth and strength is to examine where in our entire local economy we can build co-ops, and to make sure younger generations participate in the co-op movement.”
Event sponsors included Summit Credit Union, CUNA Mutual Group, Group Health Cooperative, Willy Street Co-op, Union Cab, Wisconsin Rx and National Cooperative Rx, Credit Union National Association (CUNA), Wisconsin Credit Union League and UW Center for Cooperatives. The Cooperative Network also provided planning and volunteer support.
“We’ve joined together with area cooperatives and cooperative supporters and created a unique and fun way to draw thousands of people in to learn about cooperatives and what we contribute to our communities,” said Kim Sponem, president/CEO of Summit Credit Union. “This is a great event — one that keeps getting better — and we heard many co-ops already talking about next year.”
For event photos, a complete listing of exhibitors and more information on the Co-op Connection, please visit http://www.summitcreditunion.com/coopconnection.html.
About Summit Credit Union:
Established in 1935, Summit Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative open to anyone in Wisconsin. Summit holds $1.9 billion in assets and has more than 130,000 members with a total of 25 locations throughout the Madison and Milwaukee areas. For more information, visit www.summitcreditunion.com or call (608) 243-5000 or (800) 236-5560.