Paducah Bank Donates Proceeds from Eclipse Glasses Sales to Challenger Learning Center

MEDIA RELEASE: Paducah, KY (09/20/2017) — Paducah Bank presented a check for $2,500 to the Challenger Learning Center at Paducah today with proceeds from the bank's solar eclipse glasses sales for the total solar eclipse celebrated across the country on August 21.

"This was a once in a lifetime event, and we are extremely happy to donate these monies to the college. We appreciate the Challenger Learning Center and all they do for our kids and for the communities they serve," said Mardie Herndon, Paducah Bank president and chief operating officer. "We're always looking for ways to support our community and the eclipse provided us with a way to provide our customers a safe way to view this special event and also support the work of the Challenger Learning Center."

The donation brings the community support of the eclipse event full circle, said Challenger Learning Center Director Mellisa Duncan. "Our Night at Noon event was our way of sharing the eclipse with our community and visitors from all over the world. Paducah Bank's generosity to the Challenger Learning Center with this donation shows continued support for this community."

Paducah Bank's solar glasses went on sale about 10 days before the eclipse on August 21, selling out the first day. "People were happy to spend a dollar knowing the money was going to the Challenger Learning Center," said Paducah Bank marketing director Susan Guess.

Duncan said the money will be used for future programming at the Challenger Learning Center.

The Challenger Learning Center, which is on the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College, will be celebrating its 15th year of operations on October 19 and has served more than 100,000 children and adults since the Center opened in 2002.

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West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) has been recognized as an Aspen Prize Top 10 Community College each of the four times the Prize has been awarded by the Aspen Institute and has twice been named a Finalist with Distinction for providing students with strong job training and continuing higher education opportunity, for achieving high completion and transfer rates, and for providing strong employment results for its graduates.

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