More than 200 individuals, a mix of children and adults, made their way through the Youth Party on Monday, Aug. 4 at Greylock’s Community Empowerment Center (CEC) – and that was just day one of Greylock’s Wealth Builders Youth SummerFest, a week-long series of events held Aug. 4-9.
This year marked Greylock’s first-ever Wealth Builders Youth SummerFest, with the theme “Rule Your Future,” featuring several free events in Berkshire County and one in Hudson, N.Y. These included the Youth Party at the CEC; “Must-Have Financial Tips and Tricks” on Thursday, Aug. 7 at Hilltop Orchards; and Sundaes and Savings on Friday, Aug. 8 at The Spark of Hudson. Teen Golf Night at Baker’s Golf, which was slated to be held that week, was rescheduled to Thursday, Aug. 21 due to inclement weather.
Youth SummerFest directly ties into the credit union’s rebranding of youth members up to the age of 22, now called Wealth Builders, who have access to a range of products, services, and education that can help to bolster their financial wellness.
“Our very first Wealth Builders Youth SummerFest was a success all around. Whether it was enjoying the festival-like atmosphere at our Youth Party, to learning how to master the FAFSA at the financial aid event, to enjoying delicious ice cream and games, to mini golf, the thread that joined them all together was financial literacy. We showed that learning about finances can be fun and exciting, and that’s what being a Wealth Builder is all about,” said Roberta McCulloch-Dews, vice president, Marketing.
Greylock branches participated in the fun by decorating their spaces with images aligned with this year’s theme. Wealth Builders who performed a transaction at any Greylock location received a gift and an opportunity to participate in a raffle for an Amazon Fire Tablet.
Isabella Rosales, who participated in SummerFest, highlighted the community-building aspect of the event.
“Greylock Wealth Builders SummerFest was such an amazing thing to experience. People of all ages came together to have fun. These educational activities taught us about many things including how to start saving your money—this was not only educational for the kids but for the adults too,” said Isabella, who was accepted into the Greylock Wealth Ambassador Program, which kicks off this September.
To learn more about the Wealth Builders program, visit www.greylock.org/wealth