preciation D ay
“For us here at the bank, the barbecue was one of the greatest opportunities we had to work together as a team,” Smith said. “And we couldn’t have done it without the help of volunteers, almost all of whom were customers, and local partners in Hills and nearby who helped provide the meat, potatoes, electricity, and more.” By 2001, the barbecue had grown so large that it backed up traffic for thousands of feet on Interstate 218 at the Hills exit. The traffic issues, in combination with other safety concerns, unfortunately spelled the end of the annual barbecue.
But despite the large expense of the barbecue in its later years, Smith still feels it was a worthy endeavor. “The barbecue had become a regular part of the Labor Day weekend for the thousands of people who attended, and they always went home happy. It was so nice to create that memory and to show our appreciation.” Smith said. “Now, we’re continuing that tradition of giving back in a different way.” Thanks to a partnership with local sweet corn growers, Customer Appreciation Day lives on at Hills Bank. In 2019, we gave away over 44,000 ears of sweet corn to those who visited our branches, and we hope to do so again this year. On Friday, July 30th of this year, our Johnson County offices will be giving away sweet corn (with the exception of our Hills, IMU, and UIHC locations). On Friday, August 6th, our Washington and Linn County offices as well as our Hills office will be giving away sweet corn. We hope to see you stop by and pass along our thanks – as well as a half dozen ears of corn for your own summer barbecues!
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3rd Quarter 2021
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