In celebration of the 10th anniversary of its “Penny Arcade” coin-counting machines, the TD Bank in South Beach on the corner of 5th Street and Collins Avenue recently participated in a company-wide video contest to find children ages 6-12 who explained on camera what “saving” meant to them for a chance to win a $5,000 scholarship.
The Penny Arcades are free to use for TD Bank customers and non-customers alike. The machines are also kid-friendly and were designed to be interactive. When customers dump their loose change into the machine, a cartoon character called “Penny” appears on a touch screen monitor and prompts the customer to enter an amount he or she thinks their change sums up to. If the dollar amount comes out to within $1.99 of the customer’s guess, the customer also receives an award.
Manuel Gonzalez, manager of the TD Bank in South Beach which has two Penny Arcades, played a major role in making sure that his store participated in the bank’s video contest.
“The Penny Arcades’ interactivity has played a significant role in our efforts to teach Miami Beach children about the importance of saving and financial literacy,” said Gonzalez. “Through TD Bank’s WOW! Zone program, we have gone into the community to teach students financial literacy, including the importance of saving and managing money. For this reason, we knew little Miamians would do well in the contest.”
During a recent event in Miami, 38 kids recorded videos explaining what savings means to them. In September, ten finalists will be selected from each of the ten events TD Bank hosted in ten regions throughout the bank’s footprint. The Miami finalist will receive a $100 TD Bank gift card and will be eligible to win a $5,000 scholarship. The grand prize winner will be announced in October.
Although the contest has moved on to a voting stage where Miamians can vote for their favorite video on TD Bank’s Website (mediaroom.tdbank.com), Gonzalez encourages South Beach goers to visit his store and try using Penny. He added that kids in particular have a lot of fun when they use the machine.
