From Allegan to Plainwell and from Portage to Paw Paw, Honor Credit Union has full-service branches all over the Kalamazoo area where people can take care of business. The not-for-profit financial institution owned by its members also now has a major community gathering space where people can have tons of fun.
Honor Credit Union Stadium debuts this spring as the home of the beloved Kalamazoo Growlers baseball team. With seating for more than 3,500 fans, the ballpark partnership will also open new opportunities for free and low-cost community events that entertain and support families and charities across Southwest Michigan.
“It’s not just a logo on a building for us,” said Kayla Smith, Honor’s Senior Marketing Coordinator. “It’s that sense of belonging and people being happy there.
“The stadium partnership is way more than just baseball. There are going to be events throughout the summer and into the fall and winter, too.”
Honor’s new 12-year partnership with the Growlers means the Northwoods League summer collegiate baseball team will have an ally both on and off the field. Honor Credit Union Stadium is enhancing the fan experience with new box seats, extended protective netting, new concessions and an updated team store for each of 36 home games on the schedule starting Monday, May 25. Fans can even get discounts on food and merchandise when using their Honor credit card or debit card!
The partnership will also create more community initiatives tied to the baseball games, such as collections to benefit area food banks and themed jersey nights to support local veterans groups. The Growlers and Honor Credit Union will team up for service initiatives outside the stadium around the Kalamazoo area, too.
“We just want people to know that we’re here, we’re involved and we’re committed,” said Heather Luciani, Honor’s Chief Strategy Officer. “Things like this are important in any of our communities to express that we’re not going anywhere.”
Honoring Where You Live All Across The Mitten
While the commitment to the Kalamazoo Growlers may be Honor Credit Union’s biggest sponsorship, it’s just one of 450 partnerships with local organizations and events around the state. Scroll through this slideshow for a look at several other ways Honor Credit Union invests in thriving local communities all over Michigan:
Ore To Shore
Honor is the title sponsor of the Ore To Shore Mountain Bike Epic in Marquette County. The 5-year partnership supports Michigan’s largest mass start, point-to-point mountain bike event and generates significant economic impact in the Upper Peninsula where Honor has branches in Gwinn, Marquette and Negaunee.
In many cases, Honor Credit Union team members participate in community events, contributing more than 1,200 volunteer hours per year. Some team members rake yards for the elderly during the United Way of Southwest Michigan’s annual Rake A Difference, for example, while others support affordable housing by taking part in Women Build events with Habitat for Humanity. You’ll notice people wearing Honor Credit Union shirts around your community at everything from food drives and chili cookoffs to school activities.
Honor Credit Union actively supports local schools in a variety of ways, such as giving out teacher awards and teaming with the Growlers to have baseball players read to students in the classroom. Last year, Honor awarded $30,000 in scholarships to students for post-high school education and $20,000 in teacher awards for classroom supplies, plus gave more than $130,000 to school programs around the state including career and technical education at Kalamazoo RESA.
The education support is in addition to more than $850,000 in community contributions through sponsorships and donations such as $200,000 to the Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA and $30,000 to food pantries across Michigan.
All those big numbers are the result of the daily culture and mission of Honor Credit Union, which is to partner with local Michigan businesses, schools and charities to make life better for everyone.
“That local impact is huge,” said Beth Anderson, Honor’s Marketing Community Development Officer. “We’re here and we’re part of these communities. Truly being in the community – being a neighbor, being someone wanting to enrich the overall quality of life in a community – is important to us.”