2026 V1 Article - Community Involvement
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Once again Team UMassFive raised funds in support of the UMass Chan Cancer Center Cancer Walk & Run. Totaling $14,000 this year, donations were raised through member and staff donations, support from our vendor partners and through raffles, jewelry, candy sales, and more. Including 2025’s efforts, Team UMassFive has now raised nearly $220,000 in donations in support of local cancer research and clinical trials at the Center over our 26 years of participation.
During a year that highlighted the need to help in the fight against food insecurity, we found multiple ways to support the Food Bank. For the sixth year, Team UMassFive cyclists pedaled hundreds of miles to raise $3,100 as part of Will Bike 4 Food, making the lifetime event fundraising for this team reach nearly $27,000! Our employees also walked many miles in The March for the Food Bank, and hosted a refreshment station for participants. UMassFive members also stepped up to help neighbors in need by donating directly to the Food Bank via a new secure donation feature in Online and Mobile Banking. Using the Donate option under transfers, you generously contributed over $1,800 in donations during the first three weeks of this feature going live. Stay tuned in the coming year for more opportunities to make direct donations through this feature!
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Finally, UMassFive branches collected donations of cold-weather clothing and coats to be distributed to Amherst Survival Center and Gray House in Springfield. At the Amherst Survival Center, UMassFive employees worked together to sort and display all the donations in a pop-up shop for the community to shop at the week before Thanksgiving. Through the generosity of our employees and members, hundreds of coats made their way out to the community.
We’re excited to carry this momentum into 2026 as we keep working to strengthen our communities.
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