BMO Harris Bank announced Tuesday that it will donate the proceeds from its annual holiday display at its office building in downtown Milwaukee to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.
Over the holiday season, the downtown BMO Harris Bank lobby was transformed into Holiday Junction, a locomotive-themed display that continues a 40-year tradition for families to visit the holiday display annually to enjoy the sights. BMO Harris tracked visitors to the holiday display and committed a $5 donation to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin for each visitor. A total of $50,000, representing 10,000 visitors to the display, was collected and donated today.
Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin is facing a 33 percent increase in demand for food from local pantries, meal programs and shelters.
“The stark reality is that hunger is a year-round problem, not just an issue during the holidays when charitable giving is top-of-mind,” said Bonnie Bellehumeur, President and CEO, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. “We are very grateful to BMO Harris and all those who visited the holiday display this year for their generous financial support at this critical time.”
The BMO Harris Bank donation will allow Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin to distribute 250,000 pounds of food for local residents in need.
“Visiting the annual holiday display is a family tradition for many in our community and a great way for families to get into the holiday spirit,” said Kara Kaiser, Regional President, BMO Harris Bank. “But most importantly, the visits that people made to the holiday display will also help Feeding America in its efforts to alleviate hunger in our community when it’s needed the most.”
