RICHLAND, WASH. (August 12, 2022) ‒ Gesa, a community-focused credit union, is proud to announce the total 2021-2022 school year earnings of its Affinity Debit Card Program exceeded $300,000 for partner school districts across Washington state. The program supports local schools by earning funds for partner districts to use toward academic programs, technology needs, extracurricular programs, and athletics. The announcement was made at the annual Affinity Card celebration, in Richland. 

“Gesa is a proud supporter of education across the state, and we’re especially passionate about supporting our local school districts and the remarkable educators in our community,” said Don Miller, President and CEO of Gesa Credit Union. “We’re thankful to our members who continue to embrace and support this program, as it allows us to award these funds that truly make a positive difference in the lives of local students and local educators.” 

Since the program began in 2015, Gesa has raised more than $1 million for the 30 schools it partners with.

“Pasco School District has seen firsthand how impactful the funds from Gesa’s Affinity Debit Card Program can be for local schools,” said Michelle Whitney, Superintendent. “This year, we plan to use the funds to provide additional career-connected learning experiences including industry tours, job shadows and special events in addition to supporting student participation in our Career and Technical Student organizations. These career exploration and leadership experiences help shape the future leaders of our community.”

With every swipe of a Co-Branded Affinity Debit Card, Gesa makes a donation to that particular school district. Co-Branded Affinity Debit Cards are available exclusively at Gesa Credit Union and are free to Gesa members with a checking account. There is no fee for members to switch their card to any of the school designs. 

For more information about Gesa Credit Union and the Affinity Debit Card Program, visit www.gesa.com. 

Gesa Credit Union is Washington’s second largest credit union with over $5.0 billion in assets and is over 275,000 members strong. Gesa is a full-service financial institution that offers a complete array of consumer, mortgage, and business products and services. Headquartered in Richland, Washington, Gesa operates 28 branches across Washington and supports 12 student-operated high school branches. Gesa’s commitment to local communities includes support for Junior Achievement, the American Red Cross, annual youth scholarships, and free financial and educational resources available to members and the general public. For more information visit gesa.com.