Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation: Steelers no match for the Pack: WI Credit Union Foundation expects to win Super Bowl wager

Pewaukee, Wis. – What does a basket of Pennsylvania-themed goodies have to do with the Super Bowl? It’s the prize to be delivered to the Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation Sunday as a result of a friendly wager with the Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation.

Both organizations are the charitable arm of the not-for-profit, member-owned financial institutions in their respective states. And both are convinced their team’s coming out on top.

“We’ve seen the Steelers in action. So when the folks in Pennsylvania suggested we put a little skin in the game, we said, ‘done deal,’” said Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation Chair Carol Adler, of Marshfield Medical Center Credit Union. “You have to have a little fun with these things. And by that I mean have fun cashing in when we win!”

“Last time I looked steel was stronger than cheese,” said Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation Chair Diana Roberts. “Likewise, the Steelers will surely prove to be the stronger team on Super Bowl Sunday.”

The Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation is betting a basket of beer, cheese and Harley gear that their beloved Packers will best the Steelers. But regardless of the game’s outcome, no one’s a loser: both state foundations have pledged to use their basket of state-themed goodies in an auction to raise funds for foundation programs. For example, the Wisconsin Credit Union Foundation provides free to all public high schools a magazine and online resources that help teens achieve state teaching standards for sound money management. Among its programs, the Pennsylvania Credit Union Foundation supports financial education projects, aid to small credit unions and disaster relief.

Adler says that all credit unions – and there are more than 7,500 of them nationwide with 90 million members – have something special in common with the Packers: they’re all community-owned not-for-profits.

“The Pack is the only team in the NFL jointly owned by the fans. Similarly, credit unions are financial institutions whose depositors are the owners,” Adler notes. “Wisconsin people have consistently won with both – with the Packers by preserving a beloved team that has remained in their backyard and with credit unions by receiving $203 million a year in direct financial benefits by conducting their banking with a financial institution they own.”

Read Wisconsin credit unions’ winning statistics for the 2010 season at http://www.theleague.coop/scorecard.