The American Bankers Association recently honored Berkshire Bank for its corporate volunteer efforts through the Community Commitment Awards program.

The annual program honors banks for their work in the community in categories ranging from affordable housing to volunteerism. The selection committee, made up of national experts in each category, chose recipients based on the creativity and thoughtfulness of the bank program. Each program had to embody the ideals of corporate social responsibility and demonstrate success in measurable terms.

Berkshire Bank received recognition for its Xtraordinary Day, which took place on June 7. The bank closed all retail locations and operations centers to give all employees an opportunity to volunteer in the communities they serve. The bank employees completed 56 group service projects, selected and planned by local employees. Approximately 95 percent of Berkshire’s employees participated in the day of service.

With almost all of Berkshire Bank’s employees having participated in the program in 2016, the rate puts Berkshire Bank on track to achieve the highest volunteer participation rate of any company in the U.S., according to a statement from the bank. The company plans to hold Xtraordinary Day again in 2017.