Section XI and Island Federal Credit Union are excited to announce a new, innovative partnership to help support interscholastic sports in Suffolk County, establish financial literacy campaigns to support young men and women within our community, and award scholarships to deserving scholar athletes from Long Island.
“We are proud of this partnership because it represents large brands coming together for the sake of education and community involvement,” said Section XI Executive Director Tom Combs. “Between the events we’ll co-host, the creation of awards for student-athletes and the promotion of content on our pages, this was a no-brainer that we hope will enrich the organizations and our respective communities.”
One of the key aspects of this emerging partnership is the establishment of two scholar- athlete scholarships to be awarded to graduating seniors who embody athletic success, academic excellence, and a demonstration to improving the Long Island community.
Coaches and athletic-directors will be able to nominate their players throughout the year with winners being announced in June.
Additionally, Island Federal has teamed up with Stony Brook University Athletic Department to host virtual financial literacy seminars designed to assist students and their families navigate the process of student loans, grants, scholarships, name, image, & likeness legislation, and other financial factors facing today’s college students and collegiate student-athlete.
“Island Federal is proud to support Section XI and high school sports throughout Suffolk County. Many of our employees, Members, and their children have participated in interscholastic sports during their high school years and can reminisce on wins and losses and time spent with close friends and teammates. We fully believe in the tremendous impact that safe and organized extracurricular activities play in the high school experience and in our communities. Additionally, on top of our financial commitment to Section XI, we are very proud to be offering scholar-athlete scholarships to Long Island students attending college next Fall.” – Bret Sears, Island Federal Credit Union President & CEO
About Island Federal Credit Union
Island Federal Credit Union, headquartered in Hauppauge, N.Y., is a not-for-profit, full-service financial institution, providing affordable banking products and services to Long Islanders.
Founded in 1955, Island has grown to be among the top performing credit unions in New York State with $1.5 billion in assets, serving nearly 50,000 Members. Island’s successful track record can be attributed to consistently delivering the best rates, no hidden fees, and exceptional service to its Members. When banking at Island, members have access to a complete menu of loan and deposit products, including: Simply Free Checking accounts, Certificate accounts, IRAs, Auto loans, Mortgage, Home Equity loans and lines, a Credit Mastercard® and Student Choice College loans. For anytime access, Island offers free 24/7/365 customer service, online banking, bill payer, and mobile banking services. In 2014, Island announced a 10-year, multi-faceted partnership with Stony Brook University that included naming rights of the Island Federal Credit Union Arena, sponsorship of the Stony Brook Film Festival, support of the Long Island State Veterans Home and Stony Brook Children’s Hospital as well as providing two branches and more than 14 ATMs on the Stony Brook University campus. In 2018, Island Federal merged with Bay Ridge Federal Credit Union, adding a branch in Brooklyn. In addition to the Stony Brook University and Brooklyn locations, Island operates eight full-service branches located on Long Island, in Bellmore, East Setauket, Hauppauge, Hicksville, Massapequa, Riverhead, Sayville, and Selden. Island members can also access their Island accounts at more than 5,600 shared credit union branches throughout the country, and over 75,000 surcharge-free ATM networks worldwide. For more information about Island, stop by any branch, visit their website, islandfcu.com, or call (631) 851-1100
About Section XI
Section XI is part of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association; a private non- profit 501c organization in existence since 1943. Section XI is Suffolk County’s governing body for interscholastic athletics that services 59 member high schools and over 75 member middle/junior high schools, and well over 80,000 student-athletes.