GAMBIER — Founded in 1920, The Peoples Bank of Gambier is a small community bank located in Knox County. Since first opening their doors 100 years ago, the bank has evolved with Knox County and the rapidly changing banking industry. To honor the past century of service and look toward the future, The Peoples Bank encourages the Knox County and surrounding communities to celebrate with them through contests.
The Peoples Bank, which was originally capitalized with $25,000 and 95 shareholders, is still comparatively small at $55 million and incorporates a full range of services.
Originally located near the campus of Kenyon College, the bank needed to keep up with modern banking needs and built their current home on Wiggin Street in 1998. The original building was sold to the university and is honored for its history. Since then, two additional branches of The Peoples Bank have been established in Mount Vernon.
“As I reflect on our centennial milestone, I am filled with gratitude for all that we have accomplished, the journey we have taken and the plans we have for a successful future,” said Alicia Freeman, president of The Peoples Bank. “Our scenery may be a little different these days as the decor, paint colors and carpet have changed, but our commitment to be a bank for the people has never wavered.”
The Peoples Bank recently changed its slogan to “Strong Roots Last a Lifetime: Rooted in Gambier Since 1920.” To celebrate, the leadership team will be planting a tree at the Mount Vernon East location, 11423 Upper Gilchrist Road, on Friday, June 12.
In addition, The Peoples Bank is inviting community members to celebrate this anniversary by participating in two contests. Recognizing the current global health crisis, these contests will comply with social distancing guidelines, allowing for all customers and friends of the bank to feel comfortable participating.
The Peoples Bank has created a special 100th anniversary coloring page for a coloring contest to engage the community. Participants can submit their entries through the drive-thru or by commenting with a photo of their artwork on the contest announcement post on Facebook. The best adult entry and the best child entry will each win a prize.
The coloring page will be available to download on the first day of the contest and then can be printed at home. Participants can also pick up a page through the drive-thru of all three locations.
The contest will run from May 26 to June 13. Those interested in participating can check out the Facebook post about the contest on May 26 to print the page at home. Winners will be announced no later than June 17.
The People’s Bank will also be hosting a “Penny Guessing Contest” on Facebook and at the bank. After viewing a jar of pennies, participants can submit their guesses as to how many pennies are in the jar for a chance to win a prize.
A photo of the jar will be posted on Facebook on June 22 and the contest will run through June 27. Participants can direct message The Peoples Bank on Facebook to submit their guess. In addition, the jar of pennies will be on display at The Peoples Bank in Gambier for participants to view the jar and submit their guesses in person. The participant with the closest guess will be the winner. Should there be equivalent guesses, The Peoples Bank will take submission time into consideration and name the first two participants to submit the correct guess as the winners. Winner(s) will be announced no later than June 30.
The Peoples Bank will award the winners of both contests with gift cards to either Netflix or Amazon.
For more information about The Peoples Bank, visit www.peoplesgambier.com or the bank’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/peoplesgambier/
