The Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon Program, which for a few days had fallen out of the running in a national contest for Chase grant money, made a dramatic surge on the contest's final day to finish 161st and earn a $10,000 check from the bank.

The Fair Lawn-based organization, which collects non-perishable food items, toiletries, small electronics and other items for soldiers stationed overseas, had been in fierce competition for up to $250,000 in grants from Chase as part of the bank's annual Community Giving Program.

After being nominated earlier in the year, Adopt-a-Soldier entered a voting process with nearly 30,000 other charities across the nation. The 196 charities that garnered the most votes during the process shared in $5 million in Chase grants.

Early in the voting — which ended Sept. 19 — Adopt-a-Solider was hovering around 150th, but it had dropped out of the top 196 in the final days of the contest.

Things looked grim, but a torrid finish of nearly 300 votes over the contest's final six hours put the charity back in the money.

As a result of its 161st place finish, Chase Bank will make a donation of $10,000 to the Adopt-a-Soldier Platoon Program.

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