(Hershey, PA)  F&M Trust was selected as a 2009 recipient of “The Wally Amos Community Service Award”, presented by the American Literacy Corporation (ALC) at the organization’s annual dinner on Thursday, December 3 at The Hershey Lodge and Convention Center. 

ALC executive director Floyd Stokes presented the award to Ken Ditzler, senior vice president and marketing manager of F&M Trust, for the bank's support of literacy efforts in the community.  The Wally Amos Community Service Award was established in 2008 to recognize individuals and organizations in the Harrisburg community who promote and support literacy efforts throughout Central Pennsylvania.  For the last seven years, bank employees supported the SuperReader Library Tour in Cumberland, Franklin, and Fulton Counties.  Over 75 different F&M Trust employees have volunteered for the ALC's SuperReader Program at library and school visits, and have participated at ALC Read-a-thons in Carlisle and book distribution through the First Book program.  In addition, the bank has been a financial supporter of the tours and the ALC.

Other recipients of the award for 2009 included Kohl’s Department Store, Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Jennifer Kyung, Tina Nixon and Caryn Watson.  In addition to “The Wally Amos Community Service Award”, the ALC also presented awards to illustrator David Catrow, author Jacqueline Woodson, and author Linda Sue Park.  Valerie Pritchett of ABC27 served as host for the evening’s festivities, which also included book signing from the authors.

The ALC is a non-profit organization located in Harrisburg.  Their mission is to support new and ongoing literacy efforts by working with schools, head start centers, libraries, churches, community-based organizations, and other institutions with programs targeting educational enhancement and development for elementary-aged (K-5) students.  The SuperReader Program, the ALC’s marquee program, features a live super hero representing the winning characteristics of a reader. As SuperReader, Floyd Stokes (James Patterson Page-Turner Award winning author of children’s books) generates an air of excitement around reading through activities, interactive reading, and audience participation. To date, SuperReader has performed educational assemblies for over 80,000 children. For more information visit www.superreaders.org

F&M Trust is an independent community bank headquartered in Chambersburg with over $975 million in assets.  The bank presently operates twenty-five community banking offices in their network throughout Franklin, Fulton, Cumberland and Huntingdon Counties in Chambersburg, Marion, St. Thomas, Mont Alto, Waynesboro, Shippensburg, McConnellsburg, Carlisle, Hustontown, Orbisonia, Boiling Springs, Newville, and Warfordsburg.  More information about the bank can be found at www.fmtrustonline.com

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