Bank of Hiawassee/Blairsville/Blue Ridge gives to the 'Partners in Service' Campaign

Left to Right: Jeff Patterson, President of the Bank of Hiawassee/Blairsville/Blue Ridge; Jane Hindsman, Towns County Campaign Chairman; Joe Garner, Superintendent of the GMRE Center.

The Bank of Blairsville/Bank of Blue Ridge/Bank of Hiawassee has given a donation to the "Partners in Service" Campaign of the Community Council. The announcement was made by Jeff

Patterson, President of the Banks. "The educational experiences provided by the Community Council for students and adults from Towns, Union, and Fannin counties are impressive. Many of our customers from this three county area and their children are among the 6,000 who have benefited from the programs of the council since it was formed in 2003. The Council's programs and preservation projects are contributing to the quality of life in our region and we are pleased to support them, " said Patterson.

The Bank is a locally-owned independent bank established in 1909. It currently has $419 million in assets and serves Towns, Union and Fannin counties as well as Clay and Cherokee counties in North Carolina. The Bank of Blairsville was established in 1998 and the Bank of Blue Ridge in 2005.

Jane Hindsman, Towns County Chairman of the Campaign and Senior Vice President of the Bank of Hiwaassee, said "The educational enrichment experiences the council provided for students and adults in our region are a wonderful service. I have a particular interest in education. The Community Council served 2,100 students during the last academic year and 500 of them were from Towns County and 1,200 students during the last academic year and 500 of them were from Towns County and 1,200 from Union County. The Council's work is worthy of our support."

In receiving the gift, Joe Garner, Superintendent of the GMRE Center, said, "We are grateful to the officers and directors of the Bank of Hiawassee system for this generous support. Jeff played a special role in the success of the Community Council as Chairman of its initial fundraising effort in late 2003. We are grateful for the leadership of Jane and the advocacy of her associates Julie Payne and Vivian Osborn in this year's campaign. We are delighted to serve so many students and adults from Towns and Union Counties in our programs."

The Community Council of the Georgia Mountain Research and Education Center has three emphases of educational enrichment experiences for students from Towns, Union and Fannin counties, outreach seminars for adults and significant preservation and conservation projects. To date $55,000 in commitments has been received in support of the Campaign's $90,000 goal.