BMO Harris Bank Partners With Openlands To Celebrate The "Building School Gardens" Program

CHICAGO, June 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BMO Harris Bank and Openlands joined local elected officials, school officials and students for a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the newly constructed garden at Nathan C. Davis Elementary, 3014 W. 39th Street. BMO Harris Bank will contribute a total of $150,000 over three years to help the "Openlands Building School Gardens" program come to life across Chicago. 

"At BMO Harris Bank we know that the learning environment is just as important as what's taught in the classroom," said Mike Lewis, Regional President of the Chicago Metro Region and Co-Chair of the Sustainability Council at BMO Harris Bank. "The gardens are important community assets whose benefits extend well beyond the classroom."

Openlands' Building School Gardens program helps engage students in not only greening their school grounds, but providing vital connections between children and nature. The gardens are woven into the classroom curriculum in a variety of subjects.

One of only a few like it in the country, Openlands' Building School Gardens program started in 2006, and has since installed 47 school gardens in Chicago. Nine more gardens are in the planning phase. The program aims to transform school campuses from concrete deserts to green open spaces – free for everyone to enjoy. Additionally, it aims to develop a curriculum connection in the classroom to the garden, utilize art as a part of the garden and encourage student involvement.

"Thanks to the generous support of our partners like BMO Harris Bank, we can provide the critical open space that these students not only need, but deserve," said Openlands' President and CEO Jerry Adelmann. "These gardens will provide healthier environments for the school and offer students a safe place where they play, learn and enjoy."

For more information on Building School Gardens, to be supporter of the program or to register a school, visit www.openlands.org.

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℠ 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 products are offered through Harris Investor Services, Inc. (HIS), a registered broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, and SEC-registered investment advisor. Insurance products are offered through Harris Bancorp Insurance Services, Inc. (HBIS). 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, Bruyette, Speros & Blayney, Inc. (Harris SBSB), an SEC registered investment advisor. Family Office Services are provided by Harris myCFO, Inc. Investment advisory services are offered by Harris myCFO Investment Advisory Services LLC (Harris myCFO), an SEC-registered investment advisor and wholly-owned subsidiary of Harris myCFO, Inc. Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors (Stoker Ostler) is an SEC-registered investment advisor. Investment advisory services to institutional clients are provided by Harris Investment Management (HIM) or its wholly-owned subsidiary HIM Monegy (Monegy), SEC-registered investment advisors. Products offered by HIS, HBIS, BMOCM, Harris SBSB, Harris myCFO, Stoker Ostler, HIM, 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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