jon pritikin speaking to students at a school rally

Motivational speaker inspires students to 'be a hero'

October 30, 2017 | TS Bank

Treynor, IA - TS Bank recently hosted TS Promise, a four-day event. where motivational speaker, Jon Pritikin, visited eleven southwest Iowa high schools to inspire students to ‘be a hero’ to their fellow students. 

TS Bank began the annual event in 1999 as a way to reinvest in area youth and provide a speaker to schools that might not fit in their budget.

“Providing messages of hope for our youth and local communities can have a lasting impression, which is why we started TS Promise 17 years ago," shared Kelsey Stupfell, Director of Community Reinvestment. "We strive to be a company that leads from the beginning and gives back to others through our actions as well as encourage others to give back.” 

Pritikin, who broke two Guinness World Records in 2009, uses feats of strength to capture the students’ attention, followed by his story of his youth, where he was teased and bullied for most of his years in school.

“Sometimes all we need is for one person to be nice to us,” explained Pritikin during his 35-minute program. “You can stand up for others in the way I wish someone would have done for me.”

High Schools included in the TS Promise 2017 line-up were: Treynor High School, Griswold High School, Riverside High School, East Mills High School, Tri-Center High School, Thomas Jefferson High School, Abraham Lincoln High School, Atlantic High School, Southwest Valley High School, and AHSTW High School. 

"What a gift Jon's presentation was for our school family,” said Heather McKay, Principal of Atlantic High School. “Jon balanced humor and strength with compassion and love. Students listened so well that the only person one could hear was Jon. For such a short amount of time, Jon impacted everyone in attendance." 

The event also included a youth rally that took place at the Treynor Community Center on Wednesday, Oct. 25. The event gathered 200 students to enjoy a faith-based message from Pritikin along with music from a local Christian band, Will & Jane.

To learn more about this year’s speaker, visit his website feelthepower.org. To learn more about Will & Jane, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/willandjane


About TS Bank: TS Bank’s mission is to Ignite Prosperity® in the communities it serves. Leading the resurgence of community banking, TS Bank reinvests 10% of their net income locally; hosting educational events and partners with local organizations and non-profits. Treynor State Bank was chartered in 1923 and branded to TS Bank in 2005. TS Bank has $365 million in assets, along with the largest Iowa state-chartered C-Corp trust department west of Des Moines at nearly $218 million in assets named TS Prosperity Group. Locations include Treynor, Macedonia, Atlantic, Corning and Council Bluffs, Iowa. For more information visit tsbank.com.