TheBANK OF EDWARDSVILLE SUPPORTS CHARACTERplus® IN THEIR EFFORTS TO BUILD CHARACTER IN YOUNG ADULTS

EDWARDSVILLE, ILL., Aug. 18, 2010 . . .TheBANK of Edwardsville has committed $3,000 to the mission of CHARACTERplus® and encourages other businesses in the area to do the same.CHARACTERplus® works to develop positive character traits in young people by providing high quality character education processes and resources to schools, homes and communities.

TheBANK of Edwardsville presented the $3,000 donation to CHARACTERplus® while they were onsite conducting character education training for staff of St. Elizabeth School and Holy Family Catholic School in Granite City, two area schools participating in the program.  The donation will be included in the CHARACTERplus® fundraising effort to expand services in Southern Illinois.

Started in 1988 by a concerned group of educators, parents and business leaders who decided that something had to be done about the deterioration of basic values, CHARACTERplus® now reaches more than 600 schools in over 100 districts, 25,000 teachers and more than 300,000 students throughout Missouri and Illinois. CHARACTERplus® also has the support of over 30 businesses, countless individuals, as well as foundations, federal and state grants. It is the nation’s largest community-wide initiative in character education.

According to Nikki Turner, Community Relations Coordinator for TheBANK of Edwardsville, “TheBANK of Edwardsville recognizes the importance of building character in youth and supports the efforts of CHARACTERplus® to build relationships with area businesses and school districts. We at TheBANK of Edwardsville encourage other area businesses to consider supporting CHARACTERplus® in their fundraising efforts.   We believe it is for the betterment of the community that we support character-building programs as they are an essential step in building the fundamental skills of tomorrow’s leaders.”

For more information about CHARACTERplus®, visit www.characterplus.org.

TheBANK of Edwardsville, with its 2010 theme: “Because We Care,” has assets exceeding $1.35 billion and a long tradition of providing personal service, offering innovative products and giving back to the communities in which it serves.  For more information, please visit www.4thebank.com