24 Not-for-Profits Benefit from Day of Volunteering

PHOENIX, June 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- M&I, Harris Private Bank, and Stoker Ostler, all a part of BMO Financial Group, partnered with 24 not-for-profits as part of BMO's annual Volunteer Day. On June 7, a North American contingent of thousands of BMO employees took time away from their desks to benefit the communities in which they work.

Approximately 450 Arizona employees from BMO Financial Group affiliates throughout the state rolled up their sleeves to help their community and those in need. Among their many projects, they:

• penned 1300 cards for sick children, troops overseas and veterans in the local VA hospital.
• packaged 10,000 meal kits for distribution to hungry people throughout the U.S and the world.
• made scrap book pages for patients at Ryan House and posters for the Boys & Girls Club of Tucson
• helped with making no-sew blankets and quilts for those in need
• clerical work for non profits such as photocopies, putting packets together and cataloging books
• made and served lunch to the homeless, hungry and those in need
• sorted food at various food banks
• helped with fire protection for the Burn and Trauma Foundation

"We are committed to supporting our community through the giving of our employees' time and talents as well as our corporate financial resources," said M&I Arizona President Steve Johnson. "Each year our employees look forward to the day we set aside to help others."

These activities are part of BMO Volunteer Day in which over 6,500 BMO Financial Group employees across North America will be participating in more than 400 projects to improve their communities. BMO Volunteer Day is an initiative that encourages employees to recognize the needs of their local community, establish a volunteer project and mobilize teams to fill that need. This is the first North American-wide BMO Volunteer Day that initially started with efforts at both M&I in 2001 and Harris and BMO Capital Markets in 2007. 

"BMO Volunteer Day is just another demonstration of our corporate philanthropy and the generous work our employees perform year-round in our communities," added Johnson.

About BMO Harris Bank
Based in Chicago, BMO Harris Bank N.A. provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through over 650 branches and approximately 1,350 ATMs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona and Florida. BMO Harris Bank's commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the U.S. Deposit and loan products and services provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank(SM) is a trade name used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with 1,600 branches, and a retail deposit base of approximately $180 billion.

About Harris Private Bank:
Harris Private Bank is a trade name used by various subsidiary financial service providers of BMO Financial Corp. Banking products and services offered through Harris Private Bank are provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. and their bank affiliates. Member FDIC. Not all products and services are available in every state and/or location.

About Stoker Ostler:
Stoker Ostler is a trade name used by Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors, Inc., an SEC-registered investment advisor.

BMO and BMO Financial Group are trade names used by Bank of Montreal.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group