Suncoast Credit Union cuts the ribbon at the Grand Opening of the LaBelle Service Center Friday, January 12. (Submitted photo)

Suncoast Credit Union celebrated the grand opening of their LaBelle Service Center on Friday, January 12, 2018.

Sheriff Steve Whidden attended the ribbon cutting ceremony. DJ Urbin Baron provided music during the event catered by Log Cabin. A cake from the Publix Bakery was also provided.

Those in attendance at the grand opening event had an opportunity to win money from a money machine brought to LaBelle by Xtreme Entertainment located in Orlando.

“Suncoast Credit Union put a total of $1,000 in the machine mixed with ‘funny money’ in various denominations of bills,” said Patti Barrow, Vice President of Marketing at Suncoast Credit Union. “The participants are allowed to enter the machine for a total of 10 seconds. We had one, $100 bill in the machine and it was collected!”

The LaBelle Service Center features Suncoast Credit Union’s newest technological advance, Interactive Teller Machines (ITMs). Members who utilize ITMs can communicate with a live representative via a two-way video chat during extended business hours for teller transactions. ITMs operate on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on from Saturdays 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

“Suncoast Credit Union strives to make the community a better place to live,” said Barrow.

The Suncoast Credit Union Foundation was founded in 1990.

“The foundation raised and donated more than $19 million to organizations and initiatives that support the health, education and emotional well-being of children in the communities Suncoast Credit Union serves,” said Barrow.

Suncoast sponsored Smoke Under the Oaks held by the LaBelle Downtown Revitalization Corporation on Saturday, January 13.

Suncoast participates with Hendry County’s Education Foundation.

“The employees from the LaBelle branch work with students to spread credit union awareness,” said Barrow.

“This specific branch supports our Student Run Branch at West Glades School,” said Barrow. “Students staff these scaled down credit union branches, accepting applications and deposits from students and staff members while also learning financial education.”

Suncoast Credit Union is offering a promotion to help members escape credit cards with high interest rates.

“When members transfer their credit card balance to the Suncoast Rewards Credit Card they save money with a 4.9 percent APR* that lasts until their transferred balance is paid in full”, said Barrow. “There is no transfer fee and no annual fee.”

More information can be found here: https://www.suncoastcreditunion.com/lp/balance-transfer.

Suncoast Credit Union is also offering community heroes special mortgage options.

“Everyday heroes benefit from 30, 20, 15 and 10-year fixed rate mortgage options or 3/3 and 7/1 adjustable rate mortgage options with 100 percent financing and no down payment,” said Barrow.

Suncoast Credit Union defines community heroes as: all school employees and educational professionals, active military, National Guard and reservists, spouses of military members who lost their lives during active service, veterans, nurses and public safety and first responders: Sheriff’s officers, police, corrections officers, firefighters, paramedics and EMT.

Suncoast Credit Union was chartered in 1934 as Hillsborough County Teachers Credit Union and is the largest credit union in the state of Florida. Suncoast Credit Union manages 64 full-service branches in Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Dixie, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota and Sumter counties and serves more than 740,00 members.

The LaBelle Suncoast Credit Union Service Center is located at 231 E Hickpochee Ave., LaBelle, FL.

The Service Center Lobby Hours are Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Drive Thru Hours are Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Interactive Teller Extended Hours are

Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.