SMARTBANK MAKES ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION TO FRIENDS OF THE SMOKIES & GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS ASSOCIATION

SmartBank President and CEO, Billy Carroll, recently presented donation checks to Friends of the Smokies President, Jim Hart and Great Smoky Mountains Association Executive Director, Terry Maddox.  Carroll stated, “It really is an honor to partner with Friends of the Smokies and the Great Smoky Mountains Association. The purpose of this donation is to help protect one of our area’s greatest assets, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as benefit the organizations that work so hard to help promote, maintain and preserve our mountains and the natural beauty that surrounds us.”

Every time a SmartBank account holder uses his or her debit card for signature-based transactions, a donation is made to both organizations.  In addition to the donations accumulated through debit card usage, SmartBank clients have the option to make additional contributions to Friends of the Smokies and GSMA through automatic deduction from their checking account.  This year’s combined donations for both organizations totaled $24,740.00.  Kelley Fowler, First Vice President, Marketing and Public Relations Officer for SmartBank said, “We are thrilled with the donation totals this year.  It’s been very exciting to watch the growth in numbers of the donation since we started this program in May of 2009; since that time we’ve been able to donate over $97,000.00 to benefit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”

Great Smoky Mountains Association Executive Director, Terry Maddox, said “SmartBank can be assured this contribution to GSMA will be an investment in the preservation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the future generations who cherish it.”  Great Smoky Mountains Association was founded in 1953 as a nonprofit organization to support the educational, historical, and scientific programs of the park. It is a publisher of information on the Smokies, an operator of bookstores in the park, and a membership organization. Proceeds from these activities go directly to park projects. For more information, please visit www.SmokiesInformation.org.

“We are very grateful to SmartBank for creating such a meaningful and lasting way to demonstrate their great love for the Smokies.  Their contributions to support Friends’ work for the Park are just another example of the sincere commitment to the communities they serve,” said Friends of the Smokies President, Jim Hart.  Friends of the Smokies is a 501 (c)(3) not-for-profit organization which assists the National Park Service in its mission to preserve and protect Great Smoky Mountains National Park by raising funds and awareness and providing volunteers for needed projects.  For more information visit www.FriendsOfTheSmokies.org.

SmartBank is a full service bank offering a unique balance of exceptional products and a service-focused environment.   SmartBank, with assets just over $530 million as of December 31^st, 2014, opened its first office in January 2007 in Pigeon Forge, TN and now serves clients in 7 branches across East Tennessee and the Florida Panhandle.  For more about SmartBank, visit www.smartbank.com.