For this Sioux Falls bank, kindness comes first

This paid event listing is sponsored by The First National Bank in Sioux Falls.

Have you ever stopped at Breadsmith on a chilly November day and been surprised with a free loaf of bread?

Perhaps you’ve been walking down Phillips Avenue in the summer and were offered a free snow cone.

Or maybe you were at a Levitt at the Falls concert a couple of weeks ago and were handed a free bag of cotton candy.

If any of these sound familiar, then you’ve experienced a KindnessFirst event.

And if you haven’t experienced a KindnessFirst event — or maybe you have and you’re still not sure what they are — allow us to give you the gist of it:

KindnessFirst is a program championed by The First National Bank in Sioux Falls through which the bank’s employees come up with innovative ways to pay it forward to community members.

For KindnessFirst events, which happen throughout the year, First National typically partners with a local business to treat the community to a little something special.

To date, the most successful KindnessFirst event was a Breadsmith takeover in 2021. First National stationed its teammates at all four Breadsmith locations in Sioux Falls, and for four hours, anyone and everyone who walked through the doors was treated to a free loaf of bread.

Between four locations and four hours, the bank gave away 1,232 loaves of bread. That’s a lot of dough!

So far this year, the bank has hosted two events. In May, FNB partnered with Oakridge Nursery & Landscaping to hand out free plants and wildflower seed packets to anyone who stopped by.

More recently, FNB brought the party — and the sugar rush — to Levitt at the Falls for the Britnee Kellogg concert June 30, which the bank also sponsored.

First National partnered with Candy Cloud Factory to create a custom cotton candy flavor for the event, and the bank gave away 837 bags of fluffy stuff!

What’s the best thing about KindnessFirst? The bank not only pays it forward to community members, but also the program gives First National a chance to support local businesses in a major way.

And, you don’t even have to be an FNB customer to take part; KindnessFirst events are for everyone!

With branches in Sioux Falls, Brandon, Baltic, Dell Rapids, Flandreau and Harrisburg, the bank hosts yearly events for each community on their roster. And with only two events in the books so far this year, FNB still has a lot in store KindnessFirst-wise.

In fact, the bank has a couple of events coming up this summer that they would really love for you to attend:

Dells Theatre – July 29

The new movie “DC League of Super Pets” is premiering at the Dells Theatre in Dell Rapids on July 29, and tickets for the 7 p.m. showing are on First National Bank!

You’re invited to bring your kids or bring your friends to see the animated flick, but there are only 300 seats, so FNB asks that you arrive early to grab your popcorn and pick your favorite spot.

Thunder Road – Aug. 16

Looking for one last hurrah before school starts? First National Bank is happy to oblige!

The bank is handing out tickets starting at 3 p.m. on Aug. 16 at Thunder Road, good for go-karts, laser tag, mini-golf and so much more. It’s one ticket per person while supplies last, so use it wisely — like to leave your friends in the dust on the go-kart track or impress your kids with a hole-in-one on the mini-golf course.

If you want a sneak peek of more KindnessFirst events, or you want to avoid some serious FOMO, just follow the bank on social media. They’ll make sure you’re notified of upcoming events!