Mountain America Credit Union and the Utah Jazz “Pass it Along” to Continue Mission

SANDY, Utah, Jan. 18, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mountain America Credit Union and the Utah Jazz program featuring fan-nominated opportunities that reward five local charitable organizations with $5,000 each. With this month’s donation, the “Pass It Along” program has now contributed $145,000 to local charitable organizations since its inception in 2013.

Continue Mission (CM) is a nonprofit organization that aids veterans with service-connected physical, mental and emotional injuries. It aims to inspire and empower veterans and their families by promoting health, wellness and positive life-changing experiences. The organization is dedicated to taking an active role in suicide prevention and raising mental health awareness among veterans.

“According to a recent survey conducted on CM veterans, more than 70 percent of them experience anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress because of their service to our country. After participating in Continue Mission events, more than 87 percent of these CM veterans reported an improved impact on their overall mental health,” says Melissa Hansen, executive director of Continue Mission. “In 2018, we held 153 events where we had the honor of serving 2,669 participants. This funding will be used towards our Veterans Recreation Program, which provides recreational events at no cost to our veterans or their support members.”

Earlier this month, Mountain America Credit Union president and CEO Sterling Nielsen met with Continue Mission founder and veteran Josh Hansen to discuss CM’s programs and services for veterans in the community. “Continue Mission plays a critical role in suicide prevention and mental health awareness, providing injured veterans with the tools and resources needed to overcome significant challenges,” Nielsen says. “Mountain America is honored to support veterans and their families on their road to recovery.”

Continue Mission received tickets to Monday night’s Utah Jazz game against the Portland Trail Blazers, where representatives from Mountain America Credit Union, the Utah Jazz and Continue Mission will be on hand for a pregame check presentation. The presentation will be live streamed from center court prior to Monday’s game at approximately 5:00 p.m. (MT) on the Utah Jazz Facebook page.

Fans are encouraged to nominate local charitable groups that they feel go above and beyond in giving back to the community via www.utahjazz.com/passitalong. One winner will be announced each month, from November through March 2019, for a total of $25,000 donated to five deserving organizations. This season’s previous “Pass It Along” recipients were Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah and Operation Underground Railroad.

About Mountain America Credit Union
With more than 790,000 members and $8 billion in assets, Mountain America Credit Union assists members on the right path to help them identify and achieve their financial dreams. Mountain America provides consumers and businesses with a variety of convenient, flexible products and services, as well as sound, timely advice. Members enjoy access to secure, cutting-edge mobile banking technology, over 90 branches across five states, thousands of shared-branching locations nationwide and more than 50,000 surcharge-free ATMs. Mountain America—safely guiding you forward along your financial journey. Learn more at macu.com.

About the Utah Jazz
Founded as the 18th member of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1974, and located in Salt Lake City since 1979, the Utah Jazz are committed to excellence as a team and in the community. On the court, the Jazz are the second-winningest team in the NBA over the last 30 years, having won nine division titles and two Western Conference championships along with 15 seasons of 50-plus wins, and are supported by one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. The Jazz are part of Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment that includes Megaplex Theatres, Vivint Smart Home Arena, The Zone Sports Network, NBA 2K Jazz Gaming, NBA G League Salt Lake City Stars, Tour of Utah professional cycling stage race and Triple-A Salt Lake Bees baseball.

Media Contact:
                    Tony Rasmussen
                    801-325-6430
                    trasmussen@macu.com