DALLAS – The Rev. Marl Walz, a 62-year-old pastor at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff, was taken aback Tuesday morning when Chet Kimmel, the CEO of his credit union, Neighborhood CU, showed up at his door with a $25,000 check.
The check represented the winnings from the $250 million credit union’s annual Prize Savings Account, which entered members monthly.
Walz, a Neighborhood CU member since 2004, had tears in his eyes as he realized he and his wife would be able to help their son, who is getting married in April, pay for a honeymoon. “My son and his fiancée were postponing their honeymoon until they could afford a trip to Ireland,” said Walz. “Now we can make that happen for them.” Walz also noted his plans to support his own Oak Cliff church beyond the tithes he and his wife already give.
Neighborhood CU members receive one drawing entry for every $25 monthly average balance in their Prize Savings Accounts. The greater the savings, the greater chance a member has of winning. Each month, drawings are held for prizes including $1,000 cash awards. Each quarter, the credit union also awards a plasma TV and $1,000 in cash. At the end of each year, a $25,000 grand prize winner is drawn based on the amount in savings at the close of business Dec. 31.
