To mark its 80^th anniversary, BankSouth did something a little different. Rather than just hosting an event or launching a traditional ad campaign, the bank deposited $80 into the paycheck of every employee — one dollar for every year in business — and issued a simple challenge: use it to make a difference in your community.

They call it the $80 for 80 Impact Challenge. The results have been moving.

In just the first few weeks, employees across BankSouth — including teams at State Bank of Cochran, First Laurens Bank and Community Bank of Johnson County, divisions of BankSouth serving Middle Georgia — have already submitted nearly two dozen stories of community impact.

“We've been in these communities for 80 years because our people show up for their neighbors not just at the branch, but in their churches, their schools, and on their streets,” said Bryce McCuin, Director of Marketing. “The $80 for 80 Challenge isn't a marketing exercise. It's an act of trust. We trust our employees to know their communities better than any campaign ever could, and they've made an immediate impact.”  

Among the early contributions:

• Donated to a church’s special needs ministry – a cause personal to one employee whose child benefits directly from the program
• Contributed to a fundraising walk for Type 1 diabetes research, in honor of a young child recently diagnosed
• Several teammates pooled funds together to purchase car seats and baby supplies for new mothers at a local pregnancy resource center
• Donated to a cancer research relay that funds free lodging for out-of-town patients
• Supported a neighborhood animal rescue that relies on volunteers and donations to operate
• Given to a mission organization, a community food ministry, and a local church youth program
• Left a generous tip, paid a neighbor’s bill, or made a quiet donation to a cause close to home

BankSouth operates branches in Atlanta, Cochran, Dexter, Dublin, Greensboro, Savannah, Watkinsville and Wrightsville. Honoring the communities that have been home to BankSouth since 1946, the $80 for 80 Impact Challenge is part of the bank's broader anniversary campaign, "80 Years. Always Local." For more information, visit BankSouth.com or follow BankSouth on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.