BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —Through Credit Unions for Kids, many credit unions commit to partnering with local Children’s Hospitals. ēCO Credit Union has supported Children’s of Alabama since 2009 and is historically the top fundraising credit union in the state of Alabama.

ēCO Credit Union’s 2020 Change for Children’s fundraiser, to support Children’s of Alabama, took place from September 8 through October 21. Members and the community were able to donate in all ēCO Credit Union branches and through an online fundraising platform. ēCO also received a $10,000 Miracle Match from Co-Op. After the fundraiser, ēCO donated more than $49,000 to Children’s of Alabama.

“As we kicked off our 2020 fundraiser, we weren’t sure if people would be able to give as they have in the past,” said ēCO CEO, Joey Hand. “We were blown away by the generosity of our members and the community! Even during a tough economic year, our employees and members are committed to kids in our city and state.”

ēCO Credit Union has raised more than $400,000 to support Children’s of Alabama.

“We can’t thank ēCO Credit Union, their members and the community enough for their continued support of Children’s of Alabama,” said Emily Bridges, community development coordinator at Children’s of Alabama. “Even in these challenging times, kids can’t wait to receive care when they need it most, and this donation from ēCO Credit Union allows Children’s to continue providing the highest level of health care to patients from across our state.”

ēCO Credit Union is a not-for-profit, democratically controlled financial cooperative, which exists solely to provide safe, cost-efficient and personal financial services to its members. ēCO Credit Union was founded in 1939, and today has more than 15,700 members and over $160 million in assets. ēCO is open to the community and proudly serves members in Jefferson, Shelby, Cullman, Walker and Blount counties. Additional information about ēCO and its line of products and services can be found at www.ecocu.org.

Since 1911, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient and outpatient services throughout central Alabama. Ranked among the best pediatric medical centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s provided care for youngsters from every county in Alabama and 42 other states last year, representing more than 684,000 outpatient visits and more than 15,000 inpatient admissions. With more than 3.5 million square feet, Children’s is one of the largest pediatric medical facilities in the United States. It is a private, not-for-profit medical center that serves as the teaching hospital for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) pediatric medicine, surgery, psychiatry, research and residency programs. The medical staff consists of UAB faculty and Children’s of Alabama’s full-time physicians as well as private practicing community physicians. More information is available at childrensal.org.