According to Nick Richmond, CEO of Kansas City Credit Union (and former UMKC basketball standout), “Today, now more than ever, financial literacy is a requirement for success in life. It’s important that we, as a credit union and financial institution with 80+ years of history in this community, step forward to help put the youth of Kansas City in a greater position to build generational wealth. After talking to Nicky Lopez and learning of his previous work with the Y and his commitment to helping KC kids, we knew that ‘Catch Success’ was going to be a great partnership.”

Kansas City Credit Union launched “Catch Success” for financial literacy along with Kansas City Royals infielder, Nicky Lopez, and the YMCA of Greater Kansas City with a $10,000 donation to the Linwood YMCA/James B. Nutter Community Center, on Friday, June 3, 2o22.

“Catch Success” is part of the YMCA’s Launch Pad program, in which students in grades 6 through 12 spend their summer in an environment of academic support, enrichment and recreational activities. As part of 5-day-a-week enrichment activities, KCCU staff members visit the Linwood Y each week and interactively teach the kids about managing money. Through the program kids learn how to budget their money for both short- and long-term purchases, how interest is accrued by saving over time, how to plan for future financial success and much more. Nicky Lopez is joining the weekly program from time to time, working with the kids to help them get excited about financial success – and he might even bring along a friend or two to share more than just how to hit financial goals out of the park!

To add even more excitement to this new program, each youth who successfully completes the Catch Success program at the Linwood Y will receive a $25 savings account at Kansas City Credit Union – as a head-start toward a lifetime of positive financial experiences. Throughout the summer kids will learn about money, receive paychecks, buy goods and snacks in the Catch Success store with faux money they earn, and learn the benefit to saving money for longer-term purchases and unexpected expenses.

The real home run of the Catch Success campaign is for every 200 new member accounts opened at Kansas City Credit Union this summer, Lopez and Kansas City Credit Union are donating an additional $10,000 – up to an expected total of $50,000 for Launch Pad and other enrichment programs at the Linwood Y.

“The YMCA is both grateful and hopeful about Catch Success,” said Andre Sigler, Associate Executive Director of the Linwood YMCA. “When athletes like Nicky Lopez and organizations like Kansas City Credit Union step up to help influence the future success of young people in Kansas City, we all win. ‘Catch Success’ is not just a name, it is a hands-on part of our weekly Launch Pad programming at the Linwood Y. The KCCU team has worked with the YMCA team to design a program that is both fun and interesting to kids – one that we think will have real results. And the fact that Nicky Lopez has agreed to join us for several sessions is another huge win, the kids will love it!”