When tragedy strikes, it has the power to shake a community. But in these dark moments, something remarkable happens — people come together, and resilience shines through. See how FirstBank set out to make an impact by helping a customer who needed an “Act of Goodness.”

The incident.

In November 2024, Leah Neugebauer, a FirstBank customer and Greeley, CO resident, was involved in a horrific incident at work. Leah is a manager/bartender at Wyler’s Pub and Grill in Eastern Greeley. Close to the end of her shift, there was an altercation with an angry customer who started firing shots into the bar, hitting Leah several times. She was rushed to the hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery.

Thankfully, Leah is now on the road to recovery, but not without several hurdles to jump. As a mother of three, Leah faced unimaginable challenges but knew she could rely on her incredible support system of friends, family, and coworkers.

Additionally, Wyler’s Pub was also affected by this tragic event. Not only was it traumatizing to their staff, but the building needed several repairs to reopen. Owner and FirstBank business customer Robert “Newt” Wyler was surprised when he received a call from Paige Dopler, Greeley Branch Manager. She expressed deep sympathy and wanted to do more for Leah and Newt.

The surprise.

Paige and her team immediately started planning a double-ended surprise. With the help of FirstBank, she purchased several self-care vouchers for Leah’s favorite restaurant, retail stores, and more. Paige convinced Leah to come into the branch on the day of the surprise under the guise of a faulty business debit card. In reality, Leah was being set up for “Act of Goodness.”

Leah’s friend tried ushering her into the branch, but after several attempts, she had to bring in the boss to fully convince her. Newt finally arrived and told her it was necessary to go in. At last, Leah was met with a room full of excited FirstBankers, beautiful yellow flowers, and purple, orange, and green satin balloons. Additionally, Leah was shocked when she was given $1,000 in cash to help with any upcoming medical bills.

After the surprise, Paige jokingly said, “See, next time we call you to come into the branch…” And Leah finished her sentence with, “I’ll come running!”

But the surprises didn’t end there; Paige placed a small catering order from Wyler’s Pub and Grill to show small business support and lure Newt into the branch. Though he was in on Leah’s surprise, he wasn’t looped into his own. Newt was stunned when the FirstBank team gifted Wyler’s Pub and Grill $1,000 to help with repairs and additional costs.

In the end, both FirstBank customers left with full hearts, bellies, and several new FirstBankers joined their support system.

For more heartwarming stories about how FirstBank is making a difference in our community, visit efirstbankblog.com.

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Published: February 13, 2025