Do you know someone who should be recognized for doing good deeds in the community? Someone who has quietly gone above the call of duty to help other people, animals, the environment or a local neighborhood?
This summer, Tropical Financial Credit Union is asking for the public’s help to identify a 2016 Local Hero. And as a thank you for their good work, the credit union will present the Local Hero with a $4,500 check and make a $1,000 donation to a charity of their choice.
“As a credit union, we consider our members to be everyday heroes for pooling their hard- earned money together to help each other financially,” said Rich Helber, CEO/President of Tropical Financial. “But we know there are other heroes out there who are doing selfless acts to make our communities better places to live and work. We want to know about them and recognize one who is doing something particularly special.”
Tropical Financial is focused on finding its Local Hero in one of the seven counties it which it conducts business: Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties in southeast Florida, and Collier, Lee and Hendry counties on the west coast of the state.
The public can nominate their hero between midnight on July 18 and 5 p.m. on August 19 by logging on to www.SubmitAHero.com. They will be asked to submit a short write-up on why that person deserves consideration.
“The more descriptive and compelling the story, the more likely it is to resonate with the public and judges,” said Helber.
Once the month-long nomination period ends, all of the stories will be shared on the website and the public will have one week between August 19 and 26 to vote for their favorite. The top 10 nominees, based on number of votes, will then be placed in front of a panel of judges who will then select the 2016 Local Hero.
There will be three criteria for judging: the nominee’s impact on the community, number of people impacted by his or her actions and the compelling nature of their story.
Judges will also choose two runner-ups and make donations to charities of their choice.
The 2016 Local Hero will be announced in early October.
Last year, Tropical Financial named Elliot Scholes its first ever Local Hero. Scholes, a Miami-Dade police officer, was nominated for his work rescuing German Shepherds and feeding families at the Ronald McDonald House in Miami.
A complete list of the rules can be found at www.SubmitAHero.com.
About Tropical Financial Credit Union
Based in Miramar, Florida, Tropical Financial Credit Union is a not for-profit financial institution whose deposits are federally insured. Anyone who lives or works in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Lee, Collier and Hendry Counties is eligible to join. Tropical Financial Credit Union was formed in 1935 by employees of the former Southern Bell with just a few hundred dollars and has grown to over $580 million in assets. For more information, log on to www.TropicalFinancialFCU.com.
