MT. VERNON — Community First Bank of the Heartland recently received state-wide recognition for one of their community outreach programs.

CFB received an Honorable Mention for the BKD Award for Excellence and Innovation in Banking for its entry “Mrs. Spann’s Backpack Bash.”

The bank partnered with Central Christian Church in Mt. Vernon to coordinate a backpack drive and collect school supplies from the community, with the rest of the supplies purchased by the bank. More than 600 underprivileged youth in the community received new bookbags filled with school supplies at the bash that included bounce houses, food, drinks, and party favors for the kids, their families, and the community.

The backpack drive ran from June till August.

The BKD awards are co-sponsored by BKD and the Community Bankers Association of Illinois, and recognize high performing members that create innovative ideas demonstrating a commitment to their employees, customers, shareholders, and their communities through exceptional programming.