BMO Harris Bank & Rockford IceHogs Score Goals for Grades with United Way

ROCKFORD, Ill., June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BMO Harris Bank along with the Rockford IceHogs are teaming up to promote literacy in our schools by donating $6,000 to "Goals for Grades". This is a program to support the Success by 6® Page Turner Reading Program and "I READ," an early grade reading initiative through the United Way of Rock River Valley. 

BMO Harris Bank donated $20 for every goal scored during each regular season game in the 2011/2012 season at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Rockford. A total of 207 goals were made equalling $4,140 with BMO Harris Bank then increasing the contribution to $6,000.

"Helping children succeed in school will have lasting rewards that will empower our community and improve our educational system," said Andrea Ward, BMO Harris Market President.  "This program further strengthens our commitment to the Rockford community and highlights the benefits of our partnership with the IceHogs and the BMO Harris Bank Center."

"We are grateful to BMO Harris and the IceHogs for this new United Way partnership in support of our children," said Paul Logli, President & CEO of United Way of Rock River Valley.  "Goals for Grades' is exciting, fun and life-changing for the youth of our community."

Success by 6® is a United Way early childhood education initiative that works to ensure all children from birth to age 6 develop pre-literacy skills essential to school readiness and success in kindergarten. Through the Page Turner Reading Program, children ages 3-to-5 will receive new, age-appropriate books to build their own home library, receive critical early learning information, and participate in child-parent literacy activities.

"I READ" is a partnership between United Way and the Rockford and Harlem School Districts that pairs reading mentors with kindergarten students and prepares students to read proficiently by fourth grade. Reading mentors will meet with students weekly during the school day until they complete third grade. About 160 reading mentors have been recruited and they are currently being paired with students. 

"This is just another great example of BMO Harris' commitment to our community," commented Mike Dunn, Chairman of RAVE, which owns the Rockford IceHogs. "The decision by BMO Harris to increase the funding to this great program above the levels they originally committed, further reinforces that they are invested in the youth and the future of Rockford."

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.

BMO Harris Bank is a trade name used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Banking deposit and loan products and services are provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Brokerage and Insurance products are offered through BMO Harris Financial Advisors, Inc. (BHFA) and M&I Financial Advisors, Inc. (MIFA), each a registered broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, and SEC-registered investment advisor. Investment banking services are provided by BMO Capital Markets Corp. (BMOCMC) and BMO Capital Markets GKST, Inc. (GKST), a Municipal Bond Dealer and member FINRA and SIPC. Financial planning and investment advisory services are provided by Sullivan, Brunette, Sperms & Blayney, Inc. (Harris SBSB), an SEC registered investment advisor. Family Office Services and Investment advisory services are offered by Harris myCFO, LLC (Harris myCFO), an SEC-registered investment advisor. Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors, Inc. (Stoker Ostler) is an SEC-registered investment advisor. Investment advisory services to institutional clients are provided by BMO Asset Management Corp. (BAMC) or its wholly-owned subsidiary HIM Monegy (Monegy), SEC-registered investment advisors. Products offered by BHFA, MIFA, BMOCM, Harris SBSB, Harris myCFO, Stoker Ostler, BAMC and Monegy, which are affiliated companies and wholly owned subsidiaries of BMO Financial Corp.,: Are not insured by the FDIC or any Federal Government Agency, not a deposit of or guaranteed by any Bank or Bank Affiliate, may lose value. The purchase of insurance or an annuity is not a condition to any bank loan or service. Not all products and services are offered in every state and/or location.

SOURCE BMO Harris Bank

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