Florence Bank event pleases hundreds
Children got to parade through the streets of West Springfield on Oct. 14, dribbling basketballs and laughing with friends and family. They followed behind a five-time basketball Olympian named Teresa Edwards, who is also a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, and later had the chance to get her autograph.
The West Springfield Boys & Girls Club received a donation of $10,000, and hundreds of residents enjoyed a free lunch and entertainment by basketball entertainers who call themselves the Court Jesters.
This, all thanks to Florence Bank.
Headquartered in Florence, the bank opened its 10th branch—the first in Hampden County—in West Springfield this summer, and planned the day’s amazing Florence Bank Dribble Parade to call attention to the milestone. What a great way to honor relationships and let the community know what a solid partner you will be.
The parade was the brainchild of the bank’s advertising agency, which partnered with Florence Bank staff in several months of intricate planning. I helped with the preparation and also promoted the event through press releases to get the bank some wider attention.
Even though it at first was threatening to rain on the Saturday of the parade, it stayed dry, the sun came out, and my intern, Abby Taylor, and I had a great time supporting the bank and taking part. While I was meeting with various photographers—several from the media—and working with the police detail that would keep marchers safe on the .6-mile route from the Boys & Girls Club to the new branch at 1010 Union St., Abby was helping with registration. She later marched in the parade with me, my grandson Eli, his friend Miggz and their babysitter, Emma, and Abby took some great photos as well.
Abby grew up in West Springfield and had the privilege to play basketball at the Boys & Girls Club when she was younger. She thought the parade was wonderful—“a great way to unite the community.” She got a kick out of the West Springfield High School band playing the bank’s “Always” song as the mayor, bank president, and CEO John Heaps marched behind a police escort.
“I cannot remember anything of this sort happening when I was younger, so I am happy for the children who got to feel famous for a day, walking around town for all to see,” Abby says. “I enjoyed recognizing people I see in the grocery store or at church. It warms my heart to know that the children of West Springfield are being nurtured by not only their parents, but by the community too.”
Abby is a junior at Westfield State University, and she is wise to see the ways in which Florence Bank created an opportunity for hundreds of children and their families in West Springfield. It was like being at a fair, not a bank! How clever and unique—and generous!
I’m proud to have had the chance to work with the Florence Bank staff. They are also clever, unique, and generous, as well as dedicated, organized, and genuine. If you run a business or organization, you’d do well to follow their example in offering a community event to give back and get noticed. It’s a smart idea. You can start small. Bring in a speaker on a topic of interest to your audience.
Or go big with a slam dunk like the Florence Bank Dribble Parade!
