Sovereign Bank held an awards ceremony earlier this month, presenting a check to the March of Dimes and honoring its top statewide bank employees and branches that raised money through the annual March of Dimes WalkAmerica campaign.  The ceremony, held at the Sovereign Bank branch in Belmar, NJ, recognized the bank’s statewide fundraising efforts in WalkAmerica promotions.

Warren Taylor, Market President for Sovereign Bank’s Mid-Atlantic Region, presented a check for  $40,151 to the March of Dimes and honored the following top Sovereign Bank branches for total paper sneakers sold:  Belmar, $5,146;  Hopatcong, $2,439;  Chambersbridge, $1,674;  Sayreville, $1,642, and Five Points, $1,238.  Top individual Sovereign Bank employees awarded include:  Lynda Clarkson, Belmar, $1,315;  Sylvia Sabolova, Belmar, $1,251;  Lindsay Meisch, Chambersbridge - Bricktown, $1,105;  Margaret Coveney, $963,  and Janet Lupia, Sayreville, $731. In addition, the top Region, headed by Nancy Mazza,  raised $ 13,165. The branches in Nancy Mazza's division are all located in Monmouth County.

“Every year our branches take part in WalkAmerica and we are proud to be associated with the March of Dimes and its mission to save babies lives,” Taylor said. “Sovereign Bank, its employees and customers raised more than $135,000 in 2004/05 to help fight birth defects.”  This is a record breaking year. 

Pictured above, left to right, are: Warren Taylor, Market President for Sovereign Bank’s Mid-Atlantic Region, Donna Reed Zaleski, Director of WalkAmerica for the March of Dimes New Jersey Chapter, and John Majane, Executive Director for the March of Dimes Central Jersey Division.