Watertown Savings Bank CEO Ron Dean is pleased to announce that this year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Bank’s Customer Choice Awards. Over the past 20 years, 75 different organizations have benefited and $915,500 has been distributed, the bank announced.
This year the total awards given out will be $85,000 (with the top vote-getter winning $10,000) to bring the Customer Choice program 20 year total to $1 million. To celebrate this important milestone, every person who votes in this year’s Awards will be entered into a drawing to receive a $500 Amazon gift card.
“The Bank is extremely proud of the Customer Choice Awards because of how many organizations are helped,” Dean said. “Our employees look forward to the awards night each year, to learn about all of the good work being done in our communities.”
How do the Customer Choice Awards work: Anyone with a Watertown Savings Bank account can vote. Every customer will be mailed a ballot this month. Customers may vote only once for their favorite local, non-profit organization. Every qualified non-profit that earns at least one percent of the total votes received is awarded funds. Funds are distributed according to the voting results. To qualify the organization must serve the local community in some way and have 501c(3) status. Religious and political organizations are ineligible. Charitable organizations within a church community are eligible.
Bank customers can go to the watertownsavings.com homepage to cast their vote. The online voting system lists several different organizations from each of the six towns where there are bank branches: Watertown, Arlington, Belmont, Lexington, Newton, and Waltham. These are not the only eligible organizations. There is a place to “write-in” an organization’s name, if it is not already listed.
The deadline to vote is Thursday, Dec. 31. Those without access to a computer can pick up paper ballots at any WSB branch location. Again, this year’s top vote-getter will receive $10,000. Funds will be distributed at an awards ceremony in March, 2016. For further information please contact Kelly Cronin: kcronin@watertownsavings.com