Students at Pinecrest Elementary wrapped up this year’s Merchants Bank 10 Days of Giving campaign with smiles, celebration, and a well-earned custard treat from Culver’s, after once again leading Hastings elementary schools in support of Hastings Family Service.
The annual campaign challenges local elementary schools, businesses, and residents to collect food and raise money during the winter months, with the shared goal of supporting Hastings Family Service. While one school earns bragging rights and a celebration, organizers consistently emphasize that the true beneficiaries are families in the community who rely on food shelf services.
Pinecrest emerged on top for the third consecutive year, a streak Principal Paul Bakker said reflects the school’s focus on caring for others. “This is the third year in a row that we’ve been able to win the competition, and what’s been so great about that is just the good that we’re doing for our community,” Bakker said. “Every day, on the announcement, we update our students and let them know the total that we’ve raised so far.”
Bruce Goberlisch, market president for Merchants Bank in Hastings, said the campaign is a long-standing tradition locally and across the bank’s footprint. “This is our 10 Days of Giving that Merchants Bank has been doing since 1989,” Goberlisch said. “We’ve celebrated for a long time in Hastings.”
This year’s campaign also carried special significance, coinciding with Merchants Bank’s 150th anniversary. Founded in 1875, the bank marked the milestone by continuing its long-standing emphasis on community involvement and philanthropy. Goberlisch said that commitment remains central to the bank’s mission.
“Our employees want to be actively involved in the community, both financially, but also in our gifts of talent,” he said.
The 2025 drive concluded with a combined total of 31,072 pounds collected in support of Hastings Family Service. Donations included $13,475 in cash and 4,122 pounds of food. For campaign accounting purposes, each dollar donated is counted as the equivalent of two pounds of food. Last year’s total reached 30,735 pounds, pushing the lifetime total collected through the Hastings drive to more than 300,000 pounds.
“Community members show up for each other,” Goberlisch said. “That’s why initiatives like 10 Days of Giving are as impactful as they are, not because of us but our community members.”
“Thank you to our community for your generosity,” said Mike Swanson, Chair of 10 Days of Giving in Hastings. “You are the reason we’re able to continue this initiative every year.”

Merchants Bank collected donations at its branches throughout the campaign, as well as through participating schools and organizations. The elementary school competition remains a visible and engaging part of the effort, helping introduce students to the importance of giving back.
This year’s campaign again included a partnership with Culver’s, which provided custard as a reward for the winning school students and lunch for the staff. Pinecrest students enjoyed their celebration on December 18, a moment Goberlisch said stands out each year.
“It’s so encouraging to see young kids and the excitement they have for the program and helping out with 10 Days of Giving,” he said. “I think understanding that they have a lot of their friends that may be using Hastings Family Service too, it all helps encourage them in taking care of the community.”
Bakker said the campaign ties directly into lessons taught throughout the school year.
“Empathy is an important value that we have here at Pinecrest,” he said. “When we talk about the 10 Days of Giving, we really connect it to empathy and how we can help other people.”
While Pinecrest claimed the top spot once again, Bakker stressed that the friendly competition remains secondary to the broader impact.
“There would be nothing better than for us to finish third place and keep raising the amount that we do, because everything that we’re doing at all the schools helps the community,” he said.
As students lined up for custard and celebrated their efforts, the message behind the campaign remained clear. Small acts of generosity, multiplied across classrooms, schools, and neighborhoods, continue to make a meaningful difference for Hastings families each winter.
The 10 Days of Giving drive is an annual community collaboration between Merchants Bank in Hastings and Hastings Family Service to make sure no one in the community goes without each winter. In addition to the Hastings drive, other Merchants Bank locations partner with their respective local food shelves in a similar effort. To learn more about the 10 Days of Giving in your area, visit www.merchantsbank.com/10daysofgiving. Member FDIC.