"Columbus Saves" Sets New Record: $14,960 “Rolled” into savings
Press Date: October 3, 2006
44 volunteers from financial institutions, government, non-profit and business rolled nearly $15,000 in coins this week for 82 future savers as Columbus Saves sponsored its second annual ”Roll Your Change Week”. “Our event serves to educate the public on the importance of saving,” said Columbus Saves Chairperson and OSU Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Franklin County, Dr. Susan Shockey. “We believe everyone can save. They just need to get started. Loose change that can be found in most of our homes is a perfect place to start.”
Savers came to five locations including the Franklin County Courthouse, Chase Bank, Vets Memorial, Easton Town Center and City Hall. According to Shockey, the most coins rolled for one individual was 35,550 pennies, which that saver had been collecting for 30 years. The highest dollar amount for a single saver was $1,826.50 while the least was $9.67. The average amount rolled was $182.44. The top site was Chase where volunteers rolled $6,207.50 for 25 savers.
Event coordinator Art Phillips was amazed by the broad and enthusiastic public participation. “This event keeps getting better and better. We rolled four times as many coins as last year,” said Phillips. Event co-sponsor Richard Cordray, the Franklin County Treasurer, was likewise impressed. “Of even more importance is the fact that we have added 62 additional ‘Columbus Savers,’” said Cordray. “These individuals have made a promise to themselves, taken collectively, to save or reduce debt by more than $4,100 per month. It will take this kind of commitment for our country to move from having a negative savings rate (which the people of the United States have had now for 17 consecutive months) to get back into positive savings territory.”
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From the Desk of the Treasurer
