Scottrade associates donate time, $10,000 to help 100 Neediest Cases

Des Peres-based online brokerage also collects food, clothing, toys, gifts and furniture to help local families in need



St. Louis.– What began as a department team-building charitable event has grown into something much greater. Four years ago, St. Louis-based Scottrade, a leading branch-supported online investment firm, became involved with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s 100 Neediest Cases when the company’s IRA department was looking for a charitable cause associates could become involved in.



The response from Scottrade associates was overwhelming and each year, they expanded the program to help more families. Employees donated time and money to collect gifts and donations for some of St. Louis’ neediest families. After great success, the program was expanded in 2006 to involve all of Scottrade’s more than 700 corporate employees in St. Louis.



This year, Scottrade and its associates donated $10,000 to help families in need with utility bills and other items such as clothing, food, furniture and toys for children. They also collected pantry items and donated and wrapped gifts for the families.



“Our associates worked really hard to raise more than $4,500 for 100 Neediest Cases and Scottrade decided to match their donations and then some,” said Jane Wulf, chief administrative officer at Scottrade. “I am very pleased that our associates took the initiative to help 100 Neediest Cases. They really worked hard and donated their time and money to help others in need. I am proud of their efforts and I know it will make a considerable difference for many families’ holiday season.”



Preparations for the event began in September when volunteers formed a committee to discuss the goals of the drive and brainstorm effective and fun ways to accomplish them. From October through December, associates raised funds and collected donations through a pantry and gift drive, a coin drive, a raffle and a corporate casual day. Scottrade also partnered with Cici’s Pizza on Manchester Road for a night to benefit 100 Neediest Cases.



This holiday season marks the fourth year that Scottrade has partnered with 100 Neediest Cases, but Scottrade has traditionally adopted families for years, after one of its own associates benefited from a similar program during the holiday season.



About Scottrade

Scottrade is a leader in online investing, serving individual investors who are comfortable making their own investment decisions. Scottrade is unique in the industry because it boasts low commission rates while offering the largest branch network among online brokerages, with 330 local branch offices nationwide. In October, Scottrade was named Highest in Investor Satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates for the seventh time. Scottrade.com is the online trading site of Scottrade, Inc. and offers customers the convenience of placing many orders online for just $7 per trade. In addition to its online capabilities, Scottrade staffs each easily accessible branch location with a branch manager plus additional brokers and assistants. For more, visit www.scottrade.com.