Huntington Bank Partners With Big Lots and Donates Backpacks to 30,000 Schoolchildren in Need

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Huntington Bank (Nasdaq: HBAN; www.huntington.com) today announced it is donating 30,000 backpacks to support schoolchildren in need, just in time for the back-to-school season. The donation, in partnership with Big Lots Inc., is part of a backpack and school supply giveaway program throughout the communities Huntington serves over a five-state area. The bank has significantly increased its 2009 backpack donation – from 14,000 to 30,000 – to reach more families.

"At Huntington we are proud of and committed to our 144-year legacy of community investment," said Steve Steinour, chairman, president and CEO of Huntington. "There is no better way to express our tradition of giving than to help families educate their children. Along with our partner Big Lots, we want to set an example of ongoing community stewardship."

Big Lots supplied the 30,000 backpacks to Huntington at a reduced price and contributed folders and tablets for the backpacks. In addition, Huntington customers and employees donated additional school supplies, restaurant coupons and breakfast bars for inclusion in the backpacks.

"Every child deserves to be prepared for the first day of school, but we know that some families are unable to afford the additional expense." said Big Lots CEO Steve Fishman. "We are delighted to partner with Huntington for the second consecutive year to give children some of the tools they need to succeed in school."

According to the 2010 Huntington Backpack Index, school supplies costs including extracurricular activities add up per student to approximately $474 for elementary school, $545 for middle school and $1,000 for high school. More information is available at http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/huntington/45252/.

Huntington employees have already begun to distribute the backpacks and school supplies throughout the bank's markets across the Midwest, which includes Ohio, Indianapolis, Michigan, Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. For more information, visit  www.huntington.com.

About Huntington

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $52 billion regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Through its affiliated companies, Huntington has been providing a full range of financial services for 144 years. Huntington offers checking, loans, savings, insurance and investment services. It has more than 600 branches and also offers retail and commercial financial services online at huntington.com; through its telephone bank; and through its network of over 1,300 ATMs. Huntington's Auto Finance and Dealer Services group offers automobile loans to consumers and commercial loans to automobile dealers within our six-state banking franchise area.  

Editor's note: B-roll of Huntington employees distributing donated backpacks and school supplies is available for download at http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/huntington/45252/.

SOURCE Huntington Bank