PNC Kicks Off 'Donors Choose' Campaign With Visit To Preschool

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Conroy Early Learning Center had a distinguished visitor on Tuesday.

PNC Regional President Lou Cestello visited the North Side preschool for a special announcement.

"We're announcing a new program with a Crowdfunding campaign called 'Donors Choose,'" he says.

He says teachers go to DonorsChoose.org to publicize their projects.

"They take pictures of the supplies that are needed, the explanation of a project, and then you can go online and search for whatever region you want, whatever type of project you want," said Cestello.

PNC handed out educational gift bags of donated books to the young students, and kicked things off with a $5 million donation, serving pre-school classrooms in 35 bank locations across the country.

Teachers like Shawna Schimdt were also surprised, receiving $500 donations for their special projects.

"I was not expecting it at all," she says. "So it really came out of nowhere. I have ideas for things I could definitely use it for."

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It appears the bank's new initiative has a high rate of interest.

"A lot of smiling kids, smiling teachers, and smiling bankers right now," Cestello smiles.

The crowdfunding website is www.donorschoose.org.