SELCO Credit Union new Pole Pedal Paddle title sponsor

The Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation and SELCO Community Credit Union announced Friday that SELCO has committed to a multi-year title sponsorship of the SELCO Pole Pedal Paddle, beginning with the iconic multisport event’s 42nd annual running in 2018.

Shortly after the announcement was made last week that title sponsorship of the PPP would be available for the first time in almost 40 years, n agreement was reached between Oregon-based SELCO, which operates five branches in Central Oregon, and MBSEF.

Here’s the rest of Friday’s news release announcing the new partnership:

“As an Oregon-based credit union that has been serving Central Oregon for nearly two decades, the opportunity to become title sponsor of the region’s single greatest community sporting event was one that SELCO could not pass up,” said Mike Stanley, SELCO’s Central Oregon area manager. “There is no other event in Central Oregon that defines this community the way the PPP does, and we’re proud to be part of what will be known as the SELCO Pole Pedal Paddle for years to come.”

Shortly after the news was announced that U.S. Bank would be ending its sponsorship, MBSEF Financial Development and Events Director Molly Cogswell-Kelley received an inquiry from SELCO Vice President of Commercial and Business Banking Mike Donaca. As a youth, Donaca was a ski racer for MBSEF before being coached by PPP founder Jenny Sheldon at Mt. View High School, where he also volunteered at the race in its early years.

“I was confident we would find a title sponsor right away, but I didn’t expect an organization with such a strong local reputation and commitment to the community to step up so quickly and eagerly like SELCO did,” Cogswell-Kelley said. “The powerful benefits and branding opportunities associated with the Pole Pedal Paddle are a great fit with SELCO’s already strong presence throughout Central Oregon, and they were a clear and early front runner among the many sponsorship inquiries we received.”

“The PPP is a great community event because everyone — no matter their abilities or competitiveness — can get involved,” said seven-time PPP overall winner Marshall Greene. “Whether someone is learning a new sport, on a family team, volunteering at an aid station, racing in the elite wave, or cheering on complete strangers at the finish line, the PPP brings all of Central Oregon together in a fun and healthy way.”

About the SELCO Pole Pedal Paddle:
The SELCO Pole Pedal Paddle is the largest multisport event in Central Oregon. Racers begin at Mt. Bachelor with an intermediate ski/snowboard run, then transition into an 8 km cross country ski course and then complete a 22-mile bike ride on Century Drive into Bend. They continue with a 5-mile trail run on the Deschutes River trail, then complete a 2-mile paddle on the Deschutes River and finish with a half mile sprint to the finish at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in the Old Mill District. At the finish line area, competitors and spectators gather to tell their stories about their race experience, eat great food, enjoy a beverage, listen to live music, and visit more than 50 booths at the event. The event is produced by and is a fundraiser for Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation which creates opportunities through competitive snow sports programs to support athletes in achieving their individual athletic, academic, and personal goals.

About SELCO Community Credit Union:
Founded 81 years ago by a group of fiscally minded teachers, SELCO Community Credit Union now serves more than 130,000 members as the third largest Oregon-based credit union. A not-for-profit, federally insured, member-driven financial cooperative with more than $1.5 billion in assets, SELCO is able to provide its member-owners with exceptional rates and low fees on a full range of financial products and services, including banking, mortgages, personal and business loans, investments, and insurance. Membership is open to anyone who lives or works in the 26 Oregon counties SELCO serves. For more information, or to become a member today, stop by one of SELCO’s 15 branches, call 800-445-4483, or visit selco.org.