Banks spice up food drive with porky kiss

In honor of Minnesota FoodShare month, First National Bank of Northfield, Minn., and Community Resource Bank, Northfield, Minn., are competing to see who can raise the most pounds of food and financial donations in March. A representative at the winning bank will get to (have to?) kiss a pig.

First National Bank’s vice president of business development, Rick Estenson, and Community Resource Bank’s president and CEO, Denny Hanson, are representing their banks in the effort to raise money, food donations and awareness for the Community Action Center of Northfield, in exchange for pizza and porky romance.

Jim Blaha, the executive director at CAC, called Hanson one day in late February and shared his idea to increase donations through a friendly competition between the two banks. CAC’s program director, Anika Rychner, suggested spicing it up a little bit by challenging the winner to kiss a pig.

“Our whole staff got behind it right away,” Hanson said. “I think they really want to see me kiss a pig.”

Hanson called First National Bank, knowing Estenson “would be game,” he said. Estenson, having recently gotten out of a hip replacement surgery and slightly sedated, agreed. He now jokes that he may not have been thinking very clearly.

“I think I’m supposed to be excited,” Estenson said, laughing, “but what I’m most excited about is the competition.” Having grown up in a rural area, the banker said pigs don’t intimidate him. “Denny needs to bring his A-game.”

The two bankers have known each other for years. They both graduated from and played basketball at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. The gap in their graduating classes didn’t allow for them to play together, but Estenson remembers cheering for Hanson in the stands. Evidently, their sportsmanship has followed them to the banking scene.

“I’ve been practicing,” Hanson said. Gearing up for the big event, the CEO said he’s been planting a few kisses on bacon and candied ham. Staff has approached Hanson and told him, “When you kiss that pig, I want to be there.”

Estenson said the competition is an opportunity for the community to “learn about what’s needed, and inspire more giving and sharing.” He said the initiative “isn’t a hand-out, It’s a hand-up.”

The duo has worked together for multiple local non-profits. “Ultimately, we both desire what’s best for Northfield,” Hanson said.

The competition started Mar. 10 and goes to Apr. 8., and Hanson said Blaha has reportedly found a prospective pig-of-the-hour. But the question they’ve both been asking, Hanson said, is “Should we put lipstick on the pig?”