M&I Bank Donates Nearly $17,000 to the Mesa, Arizona, Police Department for a New Patrol Dog

- M&I Bank Launches Dog Days of Summer Program to Benefit Arizona Police K-9 Units - 


MESA, Ariz., July 26  /PRNewswire/ -- For 18 years, man's best friend has played an integral role in protecting the Mesa, Arizona, community. In fact, these K-9 officers serve as integral partners to city police officers and specialize in search and retrieval of criminal suspects, as well as detecting narcotics and bombs.

(Photo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070726/LATH184)

In honor of these hardworking K-9 officers, M&I Bank has created a new community program called The Dog Days of Summer. The initiative was launched on Wednesday, July 25, when Dennis Jones, President and Chairman of M&I Bank, Arizona, presented a check for nearly $17,000 to the Mesa Police Department in memory of Leon and to assist with the purchase of their newest addition to the K-9 unit.

Leon, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois that joined the force in January 2006, was the first Mesa K-9 Police Officer to die in the line of duty. Earlier this year, he was fatally wounded by a vehicle while chasing a suspect with his handler, Officer John Lafontaine. Dubbed a hero by the community, Leon received national attention in August after helping police detain a 350-pound man in a dramatic 90-minute standoff on U.S. 60 and the successful rescue of an infant inside the man's vehicle.

Since Leon was one of the Mesa K-9 police officers who helped arrest the thieves responsible for the string of ATM thefts in metro Phoenix last year, M&I Bank is covering the expenses of purchasing and training a new patrol dog for Officer Lafontaine.

As a result of M&I Bank's commitment to support the communities in which it serves, the bank created additional Dog Days of Summer activities to support various Arizona Police K-9 Units. These additional community initiatives will raise funds and donations in a series of philanthropic activities that will take place in all of M&I Bank's 48 Arizona branch locations.

M&I Bank, Arizona, Dog Days of Summer activities include:

M&I Bank Paw Prints: M&I Bank created paw-shaped tags that individuals can purchase at all of its 48 Arizona branch locations. Each paw print costs $2 and can be personalized to be displayed at each branch. The bank will donate and divide proceeds from the paw prints program among all Arizona Police K-9 Units.

M&I Bank Dog Shower: Throughout July and August, all 48 Arizona M&I Bank locations will be accepting dog-related items such as food/treats, bones, collars, leashes and toys. Some of the community donations collected for the dog shower will be presented to the Mesa AZ Police Department's K-9 Unit at a homecoming party for the new police dog. The rest of the donations will be

divided between Arizona Police K-9 Units and the Arizona Animal Welfare League/SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

Homecoming Party: M&I Bank, Arizona, will host a homecoming party at the end of August, once Officer Lafontaine and the new police dog have returned from training, at the Mesa, Arizona (Crismon and Baseline) bank location.

M&I Bank Kids Activities: Currently, M&I Bank, Arizona, is hosting a creative contest where children ages 5 to 11 can submit a drawing of their own dog. At the end of August, the bank will choose the top five drawings from all of the submissions and will award them with a Mi Kids Savings account and $50 to start off their savings.

At the M&I Bank, Mesa, branches, children can also choose to create thank-you cards for the police department. All cards that are submitted will be presented to the police department during the homecoming celebration.

About M&I Bank

M&I Bank is an affiliate of Marshall & Ilsley Corporation (NYSE:MI), a diversified financial services corporation headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., with $58.3 billion in assets. Founded in 1847, M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank is the largest Wisconsin-based bank, with 192 offices throughout the state. In addition, M&I has 48 locations throughout Arizona; 30 offices along Florida's west coast and in central Florida; 16 offices in Kansas City and nearby communities; 22 offices in metropolitan Minneapolis/St. Paul, and one in Duluth, Minn.; three offices in Tulsa, Okla.; and one office in Las Vegas, Nev. M&I's Southwest Bank subsidiary has 17 offices in the greater St. Louis area. Metavante Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary, provides a full array of technology products and services for the financial services industry. On April 3, 2007, Marshall & Ilsley Corporation announced its plans to split Metavante Corporation and Marshall & Ilsley Corporation into independent publicly traded companies. M&I also provides trust and investment management, equipment leasing, mortgage banking, asset-based lending, financial planning, investments, and insurance services from offices throughout the country and on the Internet (http://www.mibank.com/ or http://www.micorp.com/). M&I's customer-based approach, internal growth, and strategic acquisitions have made M&I a nationally recognized leader in the financial services industry. 

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DATASOURCE: M&I Bank



CONTACT:  Maemalynn Meanor, [phone], , or Kasey

Broach, [phone], , both for M&I Bank; or Carey Allen

of M&I Bank, [phone], 



Web site:  http://www.mibank.com/

http://www.micorp.com/ 

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