Two things come to mind as I work toward the first deadline for the Someday Stories^SM contest. First, this is one of the latest chapters in Wells Fargo's history of supporting good causes. Every year, Wells Fargo team members contribute millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours to communities and agencies who provide assistance to people in need. Your Someday Stories are just another way to help out.

The contest works like this: You tell Wells Fargo your dream and if you a weekly winner, are a semi-finalist or win the big mo', you get $1000, 10,000 or $100,000 bucks. Visitors to the site vote for the most deserving person and also help out three organizations that stand to get $50K to $250 grand. This prize money goes to people who demonstrate a need and a desire — it's not about luck. No "10th caller"   in this one!

(Two things, people! Keep the submission  to 250 words or less, and enter by 11:59PM, Friday, July 25th. Those are the rules !)

The other thing that interested me is how the Someday Stories contest is a way for the Company to speak to the community apart from the business voice. It gives the big financial institution an opportunity to communicate in a way that's different from the usual marketing tone. You know, "Ask us about 6-month CDs." (Which you can certainly do — we are still open for business!)

In 1875, Henry Wells himself wrote:

Our lives are not measured by the number of years and days we exist, but by what we accomplish while we live, and the good we may render our fellow men.

Wells was a risk-taker and made a fortune. He also had a great vision of public service , and he backed up his vision with lots of money. The union of innovation and duty has been part of Wells Fargo since the very beginning. It's part of the name, you might say.

And it's going strong 156 years later.