Leaders of Middle Tennessee’s largest credit union completed a 65-year anniversary celebration on Feb. 24 by presenting a $65,000 donation to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

Middle Tennessee’s largest credit union leaders completed a 65-year anniversary celebration on Feb. 24 by presenting a $65,000 donation to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

“We are incredibly thankful to Ascend Federal Credit Union and its members for their generous donation,” said Meg Rush, M.D., MMHC, chief of staff and executive medical director of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. “Partnerships with organizations like Ascend allow us to offer world-class programs to care for sick and injured children in our community and across our state.”

Since 65 years of success would not be possible without loyal members, Ascend offered members a chance to be involved in raising funds for Children’s Hospital. For every online payment transaction made in December, the credit union donated $0.65 toward its $65,000 total contribution.

“Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt was a natural choice for us,” Ascend President and CEO Caren Gabriel said. “We are very passionate about supporting the communities we serve, and Children’s Hospital does so much for local families. I am proud that we are able to contribute to such a worthy organization.”

In addition to the donation, Ascend celebrated its milestone with a member return and a social media contest.

In November, the credit union returned $6.5 million to members in the form of bonus dividends and loan interest refunds. Over the past 12 years, Ascend’s volunteer, unpaid Board of Directors has voted to return more than $66.5 million to members. Also during November, members entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card by sharing a credit union memory on Ascend’s Facebook or Twitter page.

“Sixty-five years ago, we began raising the financial possibilities for people at Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma,” Gabriel said. “Today, with nearly $2 billion in assets, we serve members all over the world from our Corporate Headquarters in Tullahoma, Tenn. Everyone working at Ascend understands and appreciates that if it were not for members’ loyalty, this credit union would not be here.”

With nearly $2 billion in assets and more than 170,000 members, Ascend is the largest credit union in Middle Tennessee and one of the largest federally chartered credit unions in the United States. The National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU) selected Ascend as the 2015 Federal Credit Union of the Year. Ascend is federally insured by the NCUA.