BUFFALO, N.Y., Nov. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- To celebrate Giving Tuesday, a global day to give back, M&T Bank announced Waggies by Maggie & Friends has been awarded the $10,000 grand prize in its first-ever Understanding What's Important Business Challenge, an initiative that celebrates local businesses and the organizations they support to make a difference in their communities. Four other finalist community organizations each received $1,000.

Waggies by Maggie & Friends is a Wilmington, Delaware-based nonprofit dog treat company that provides meaningful employment opportunities for persons with intellectual disabilities. They plan to invest the $10,000 prize into additional equipment to improve their baking process in order to grow and offer more life-changing work experiences to people in their community.

With the Understanding What's Important Business Challenge, M&T Bank invited local businesses to share their stories about community organizations that are important to them. Janssen's Market, a gourmet supermarket in Greenville, Delaware and the first retail store to carry Waggies dog treats, entered the challenge and nominated Waggies for the opportunity to win a $10,000 gift of support from M&T.

"At M&T Bank, we understand the impact that local businesses have on our communities. They create jobs, drive economic growth, and improve quality of life by giving back to local charities and nonprofit organizations," said Eric Feldstein, M&T Bank senior vice president and manager of business banking. "We launched the Understanding What's Important Business Challenge to celebrate the community impact of local businesses, and we are so pleased to congratulate Waggies by Maggie & Friends and Janssen's Market as well as all of the organizations that took part in this initiative for all they do to make their communities the best they can be."

M&T received nearly 500 submissions from businesses throughout its geographic footprint. Five were selected as finalists, and the public was given an opportunity to vote online for their favorite of the five finalist organizations. More than 20,000 votes were cast to help determine the winning organization.

In addition to the $10,000 prize for Waggies, M&T awarded $1,000 prize grants today to the remaining four finalists, which included:

• Benedictine Health Foundation of Kingston, New York; nominated by Timely Signs
• Community Helping Hands of Jamestown, New York; nominated by Trinity Guitars
• LifePath Christian Ministries of York, Pennsylvania; nominated by Osterberg Chiropractic Centres
• There Goes My Hero Inc. of Lutherville, Maryland; nominated by ProfitComm

To learn more about the grand-prize winner, the four finalist organizations and their nominating businesses, visit: https://bank.mtb.com/BusinessContest

The grand-prize winner was selected based upon independent scoring criteria that most heavily weighed the public vote and also considered other key factors, including the impact of the prize money, why the community organization is important to the nominating business and the business' involvement with the organization.

Founded in November 2007, Waggies by Maggie & Friends produces all-natural dog treats, while empowering people with intellectual disabilities to be successful in their workplace and in the community. Over the last 10 years, Janssen's Market has helped them buy equipment, design packaging for retail distribution and offered ongoing business advice and support. Their long-term relationship is a textbook example of the community impact M&T hoped to highlight with its business challenge. To learn more about Waggies, visit http://waggies.org.

M&T's business banking team is committed to "Understanding What's Important" to each of its business customers. Whether it's expanding the company, hiring more workers, investing in new equipment or supporting nonprofit organizations in their community, M&T works alongside local businesses to help them achieve their goals and foster long-term success.

About M&T Bank

M&T is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T's principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Trust-related services are provided by M&T's Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.

© 2017 M&T Bank. Member FDIC.

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SOURCE M&T Bank Corporation