BMO Announces 5 Year Sponsorship Extension at Summerfest

News provided by

Jun 30, 2011, 07:30 ET

MILWAUKEE, June 30, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BMO Financial Group today announced a 5 year extension of the Summerfest stage sponsorship that M&I Bank has underwritten since 2006.

The sponsorship includes support for Phase Two of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.'s South End Project, which is targeted for completion in time for Summerfest 2012. The design of Phase 2 of the South End Project is ongoing, and will be submitted to the Board of Harbor Commissioners for approval, at a later date.

"We're incredibly proud to join in the singular celebration of summer that is Summerfest. It is one of Milwaukee's best cultural attractions and, as the largest musical festival in the world, it draws global visitors and performers to the city's front door," said Bill Downe, president and chief executive officer, BMO Financial Group. "By combining the strengths of M&I and Harris, we can be an even more active community partner – and we look forward to deepening our commitment to Milwaukee."

"We thank BMO for creating a continuing partnership with us and for recognizing the importance of Summerfest to our community," said Donald Smiley, president & CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. "We welcome them warmly to the Summerfest family."

For more than 193 years, BMO has believed in community reinvestment and corporate and social responsibility in the communities it serves. In 2010, BMO contributed more than $54 million in donations, sponsorships and events in North America to groups, organizations and programs that help build and sustain resilient, vital and healthy communities.

About BMO Financial Group

Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group (TSX, NYSE: BMO) is a highly diversified financial services organization. With total assets of $413 billion as of April 30, 2011, and more than 38,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions.

About Summerfest

Established in 1968, Summerfest, the World's Largest Music Festival, is a yearly music festival held at Henry Maier Festival Park in Milwaukee. Summerfest is run by the non-profit organization Milwaukee World Festival. The festival lasts for 11 days and is made up of 11 stages with performances from over 700 bands. Summerfest attracts between 800,000 and 1 million people each year. For more details visit Summerfest.com.

SOURCE BMO Financial Group