In March, Bank of the Pacific in Aberdeen, Washington, sponsored the Bowl-A-Thon fundraiser for Friends of the Children Portland. Friends of the Children, a national nonprofit organization, offers a long-term professional mentorship program that supports at-risk and underserved children from kindergarten through high school.

At the fundraiser, Friends of the Children Portland’s mentors—referred to as “friends”—and mentees bowled in select lanes, and community members could pay to bowl in contests and win raffle prizes. For two consecutive years, $1.2 billion-asset Bank of the Pacific has funded the event through its Lake Oswego, Oregon, branch. 

“This year, we stepped up our sponsorship about 50% more than what we did last year,” said Jon Little, Bank of the Pacific’s SVP and commercial real estate manager. As chair of Friends of the Children’s ambassador board, Little helped initiate the partnership between the two organizations.

One highlight from this year’s fundraiser was when Little challenged Dennis Dixon, a former American NFL quarterback, to the strike lane fundraising contest. “I said, ‘Hey, Dennis, you know I got four strikes—what can you do?’ And he loved the challenge,” said Little. “He only got two strikes, but he donated $100, and it was a lot of fun to see him get competitive.” 

Community involvement is a core value for Bank of the Pacific. “Part of our mission statement is to be the best bank for our employees, our customers, our shareholders and our communities,” said Denise Portmann, CEO and president of Bank of the Pacific. “Without a strong, vibrant community, we don’t really exist. … It’s important for us, and it’s just in the nature of who we are to get involved.”