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Charity and Education

By donating over one hundred thousand kuna to hospitals and primary schools and teaching the youngest about saving, Erste&Steiermärkische Bank marked World Savings Day.

Although October 31 is Savings Day, Erste&Steiermärkische Bank d.d. has already begun its celebration. Bankers organized gatherings with children in several cities: Bjelovar, Osijek, Rijeka, Split, and Zagreb, as well as donating to hospitals and primary schools. In addition to receiving important information about the meaning of saving, children in Zagreb will watch the free theater play ‘Alone in the World’, while those in other cities will see ‘First-Class Wagon’. 

World Savings Day is an opportunity to emphasize the importance of saving, celebrated on October 31 in memory of the First International Congress of Savings Banks held on that date in 1924 in Milan, Italy. It was a meeting of representatives from global savings institutions who sought to find a way out of the crisis that arose after World War I. The congress concluded that saving money is the greatest guarantee for development. This marked the beginning of an era of thinking about preserving existing resources and changes in their use. 

During the celebration of Savings Day, visits by kindergarten and school children to bank branches are organized until the end of this week, where they will learn what saving is and how money is saved. Young visitors will be rewarded with promotional items featuring the mascot of Erste Children’s Savings – Mede Štede for their drawings. In addition to activities for children, Erste Bank traditionally marks World Savings Day with donations to kindergartens, schools, and hospitals.

This year, a donation of 50,000 kuna was given to the General Hospital Bjelovar, and a newly established Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at the General Hospital Dr. Ivo Pedišić from Sisak, located in the Health Center in Petrinja, received a donation of 43,200 kuna for the procurement of necessary medical devices. Donations were also given to representatives of five primary schools in Bjelovar (I, II, III, IV, and V Primary School Bjelovar), with a total amount of 25,000 kuna, five thousand kuna for each school.

Through its donation activities, the bank supports the work of institutions that contribute to a better and higher quality of life, thus giving back to the community in which it operates. Erste Bank continuously supports numerous projects across Croatia, and since the beginning of this year, it has invested around 5.3 million kuna in sponsorship and donation projects.  (K. P.)