When it comes to helping others, American Bank Center ranks high on the philanthropic scale. American Bank Center supports a different non-profit organization each month, enlisting their employees to volunteer or involving the shows that visit Corpus Christi. In May 2012, with the help of Feld Entertainment, American Bank Center focused their efforts on a cell phone drive for “Cell Phones for Soldiers”; a national non-profit organization that collects gently used cell phones to sell to a recycling company and uses the proceeds to buy calling cards for soldiers deployed overseas. Ticket vouchers for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s Fully Charged where given for each phone donated and as a result 83 gently used cell phones were collected. With the success of the cell phone drive, American Bank Center became a permanent drop-off site for “Cell Phones for Soldiers”. Since then 75 additional cell phones were donated. In addition to Feld Entertainment, other production companies have partnered with American Bank Center to give back to the Corpus Christi community. Ranging from “Meet and Greets” to donating portions of ticket sales to local foundations, American Bank Center continuously engages shows that come through the building to lend a hand to others in need. Partnerships created include: Monster Jam with the Wounded Warrior Project, Hall of Fame Fight Night with the Coastal Bend Blood Center, WWE with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Broadway in Corpus Christi with the Corpus Christi Education Foundation, Third Day with the Division for Blind Services and Disney on Ice: Dare to Dream with the Girl Scouts. Employees of American Bank Center are encouraged to volunteer with their peers during coordinated volunteer days. Volunteers have “rolled up their sleeves” by serving Thanksgiving dinner to families at the Ronald McDonald House, serving lunch to the homeless at Metro Ministries, putting a tourniquet on to have blood drawn during a blood drive, using a circular saw to cut siding for Habitat for Humanity houses, unpacking pallets of food and sorting boxes for the Food Bank of Corpus Christi and throwing a bowling ball down the lane wearing doo-wop clothing to raise money for American Advertising Federation scholarships. Over the past year, a total of 39 employees volunteered a total of 218 hours with nine organizations. Acting as a liaison between organizations and shows, the American Bank Center also assists in facilitating ticket donations to local charities to give their clients an opportunity to attend events. Local organizations that have received ticket donations include: the Women’s Shelter of South Texas, Driscoll Children’s Hospital, Make a Wish Foundation and the Ronald McDonald House. American Bank Center’s philosophy is to put “Fans First” inside their facility as well as out in the community. |
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