RALEIGH, N.C., Aug. 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hundreds of North Carolina youth are spending part of their summer exploring new interests, building confidence, and creating lifelong memories with support from State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU).
This year, a record 466 young members received scholarships through SECU’s annual Summer Camp Awards program, helping them attend day and overnight camps. The scholarships total $233,000 — the most in the program’s five-year history.
SECU’s Summer Camp Awards program gives FAT CAT® and Zard® youth members an opportunity to apply for a scholarship to help offset registration fees and other camp-related expenses. This year’s recipients include children and teens from 91 of North Carolina’s 100 counties, demonstrating the program’s statewide reach.
“Summer camp is an excellent opportunity for children and teens to try new things, step outside their comfort zones, and form lasting friendships,” said SECU President and CEO Leigh Brady. “The goal of SECU’s Summer Camp Awards program is to help ease the financial burden on families so more young members can experience everything summer camp has to offer. We are so pleased to continue our support for SECU families across the state through this beneficial program for a fifth consecutive year.”
To be eligible, young members with a FAT CAT or Zard youth account were invited to submit an essay or illustration describing their dream summer camp experience.
For Greenville’s Riley Hines, the dream was to experience a summer filled with fun and learning.
“I am truly grateful that Riley was able to apply herself to do something she loves with drawing,” said Brianna Hines, mother of Greenville-First Street Branch recipient Riley Hines. “But I also see it is something she is able to use to benefit herself by obtaining scholarships and encouraging her to continue to use her talents to build her future.”
Oliver Jernigan of Troy used his award to attend a wilderness adventure camp, where he explored the outdoors while learning camping and survival skills.
“For SECU to support me in this endeavor means a lot, as this was most definitely a dream trip,” Jernigan said. “Scouting has been a great adventure for me, and this was, without a doubt, a highlight in that adventure. Trips such as this one are what most people will never experience.”
Since launching the program in 2022, SECU has awarded more than $741,000 to 1,483 young members, helping families reduce the financial barriers that can sometimes prevent children and teens from participating in enriching summer experiences.
The Summer Camp Awards program is one of many ways SECU supports its youngest members. Through its youth accounts, FAT CAT and Zard, SECU offers financial education resources and opportunities that encourage healthy financial habits from an early age. To learn more about SECU’s youth accounts and benefits, visit https://www.ncsecu.org/accounts/kids-teens.
About SECU
As a not-for-profit financial cooperative owned by its members and federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), SECU has been providing employees of the state of North Carolina and their families with consumer financial services for 89 years. SECU is the second largest credit union in the United States with over $60 billion in assets. It serves more than 3 million members through 275 branch offices, 1,100 ATMs, Member Services Support via phone, www.ncsecu.org, and the SECU Mobile App.
Contact: Sandra Jones, SVP Communications, [email protected]
Riley Hines accepts her $500 Summer Camp Award from the Greenville-First Street Branch.
Oliver Jernigan accepts his Summer Camp Award from Troy Assistant Branch Manager Amanda Cranford.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
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