SALEM – Salem Five employees donated 142 pairs of new sneakers to the children and staff at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem, as part of an internal bank campaign dubbed “KICKstarter” to help the not-for-profit organization.
The club is diagonally across the street from one of Salem Five’s branches in Salem and the bank has a long history of supporting the Boys & Girls Club, which serves hundreds of children through a variety of programs.
The idea of contributing sneakers originated from a conversation between leaders of the two organizations. Bank employees were asked if they would like to buy a pair of sneakers and donate them to the kids and staff.
“I was pleased but not surprised by the number of employees who volunteered to buy sneakers for our friends at the Boys & Girls Club,” said Ping Yin Chai, Salem Five’s president and CEO. “The bank has a long history of giving back to the communities it serves and our employees donate countless hours annually through volunteer work, and they were excited to support the children through this bank-sponsored program.”
With inflation and the high cost of clothing – particularly footwear – the bank’s effort could not have happened at a better time, said Joanne Scott, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club.
“We sincerely appreciate the generosity of Salem Five and its employees,” she said.
