MINNEAPOLIS, Mar 07, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
U.S. Bank has announced winners for the MAKE IT HAPPEN promotion, which
helped consumer and business cardholders support their favorite causes,
awarding more than $80,000 in prizes. Full details, including videos
about the winners and their causes, are available at www.usbank.com/makeithappen.
The MAKE IT HAPPEN promotion gave U.S. Bank Visa credit and check
cardholders the opportunity to win $10,000 by submitting a story about
how they would help "make it happen" for someone in need. Cardholders
used Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and email to encourage their friends to
vote for their stories on the promotion website. The customers with the
most eligible votes at the end of the promotion each won $5,000 for
their cause and $5,000 for themselves.
"As we looked at our list of top vote-getters and their heartfelt
stories, we knew that we couldn't limit our grand prize to just the
first-place winners," said Cliff Cook, chief marketing officer for U.S.
Bank Retail Payment Solutions. "So we extended the prize to our top
three stories for both the consumer and business competition in
recognition of their extraordinary efforts. U.S. Bank is excited to give
these six cardholders a chance to 'make it happen' for their communities
and for their loved ones."
The $10,000 consumer prize winners and their hometowns are:
-- Stefani Crawford, Hartford, Wis. - Crawford will use the funds
to help support her brother as he prepares for a life-saving lung
transplant.
-- Gloria Ngezaho, Portland, Ore. - Ngezaho will use his winnings
to help share a positive perspective on African news through his online
publication, the African Messenger.
-- Jill White, Dublin, Ohio - White intends to give the funds to
two Hilliard, Ohio families. One family's toddler recently received a
kidney transplant, and the other family's child is battling cancer.
The $10,000 business prize winners and their hometowns are:
-- Feeding the Multitudes Catering, Aurora, Colo. - Owner Jaylynn
Whisenton will use the funds to hold a dinner for homeless people in
downtown Denver.
--MSRunTheUS, Inc., Brookfield, Wis. - Ashley Kumlien,
founder of the charitable organization, aims to use the winnings to
support finding a cure for Multiple Sclerosis.
--The Stronghold, San Diego - Michael Cusi, owner of the
martial arts school, intends to use the winnings to support Jiu Jitsu
lessons for community youth that otherwise may not be able to afford
them.
Cardholders who registered and used their card during the promotion also
had the opportunity to win $5,000 as randomly-selected winners. The
$5,000 prize winners are:
-- Anne Ohara, Loveland, Ohio
-- Lawn Maids, Inc., Caldwell, Idaho. Owner Angela Horikami.
The MAKE IT HAPPEN promotion ran from Oct. 15 through Nov. 15, 2010. For
more information about the promotion, including a complete list of
winners and their stories, visit www.usbank.com/makeithappen.
U.S. Bank Retail Payment Solutions (RPS) is one of the nation's leading
payment processing and full-service issuing providers. RPS offers
credit, debit, and prepaid payment solutions to consumers and small
businesses through U.S. Bank and in partnership with financial
institutions, businesses, governments and employers.
U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), with $308 billion in assets as of Dec. 31,
2010, is the parent company of U.S. Bank, the fifth largest commercial
bank in the United States. The company operates 3,069 banking offices in
25 states and 5,310 ATMs and provides a comprehensive line of banking,
brokerage, insurance, investment, mortgage, trust and payment services
products to consumers, businesses and institutions. Visit U.S. Bancorp
on the web at www.usbank.com.
SOURCE: U.S. Bank
U.S. Bank
Teri Charest, Media Relations, 612-303-0732
teri.charest@usbank.com
