BBVA Compass employees put hearts behind every push of pedal on cross-country charity ride

The employees participated in portions of the Pursuit for Those With Disabilities bike ride, a coast-to-coast, 3,500-mile trek across 14 states that helped raise $13 million for The Center. Pursuit, the brainchild of Houston energy executive David Baldwin, was supported by the BBVA Compass Foundation and epitomized the bank’s Bright Futures campaign , which is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a bright future.

“BBVA Compass' purpose is to ensure the age of opportunity reaches everyone in the bank's path so they can start building their brighter futures,” said BBVA Compass Chief Marketing and Digital Sales Officer Jennifer Dominiquini. “We brought to bear two of our best assets — our passionate employees and our equally powerful will to be a force of good in our communities — in pursuit of that goal through our 100 Days of Brightness.”

Joining Dominiquini for segments of the ride were BBVA Compass Corporate Relationship Managers Payton Swope and Frank Carvelli, Sponsorship Coordinator Rishi Naran, and Operations Manager Ernest Lizcano. Together they logged more than 1,100 miles and raised nearly $40,000 for The Center through the fundraising site Crowdrise.com, adding to the bank’s charitable support.

“Without BBVA Compass, our Pursuit would not have been a success,” Baldwin wrote on his Pursuit blog, where he filed daily reports from the road. He praised the bank’s “amazing leadership, partnership, and stewardship” as Pursuit partners.

More than 50 BBVA Compass team members, including BBVA Compass Head of Business Development Pepe Olalla, as well as players from the Houston Dash and Dynamo, supported the cause as "virtual" riders from a command center set up in Houston.

Learn more about Pursuit and The Center here, watch the video about the ride, and check out Baldwin’s daily blog posts from the journey.