Media Advisory: Huntington Bank Partners with DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan to Deliver Backpacks with School Supplies to Children in Time for School
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated:
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WHO: |
Huntington Bank and DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan | ||
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WHAT: |
Huntington Bank is donating 900 backpacks to children at DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan. The donation is part of Huntington’s Annual Backpack giveaway that will provide backpacks to families throughout the six states Huntington serves. Over the past four years, including this year, Huntington has given out 90,000 backpacks. | ||
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WHEN: |
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. |
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WHERE: |
Children’s Hospital of Michigan Specialty Center | ||
| 3950 Beaubien Blvd., Detroit, MI 48201 | |||
| Media can come directly to the Specialty Center across the street from the main Children’s Hospital. Parking is in the rear of the building. | |||
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WHY: |
Huntington’s commitment is part of a bank wide campaign to donate backpacks throughout all bank communities. This initiative is supported by Big Lots Inc., which provided discounted pricing for the backpacks and basic school supplies. |
“We are pleased to join forces with DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan for our signature backpack program,” said Mike Fezzey, president for Huntington in the East Michigan Region. Huntington strives to be an invaluable partner to our communities. What better way to do so than to help our children start the school year off in the right direction.”
Earlier this month, Huntington released its annual 2012 Backpack Index. The findings indicated that parents could expect to pay as much as 6 percent more to send their children to grades K-12 this year. According to Huntington, 2012’s higher costs come on the back of double-digit increases in 2011, continuing to put a bigger squeeze on family budgets.
Huntington’s annual survey of the cost of items on school supply lists and for common extracurricular activities found:
- Elementary school costs per student rose 3.4 percent, from $530 to $548.
- Middle school costs per student rose 5.8 percent, from $684 to $724.
- High school costs per student rose 2.2 percent, from $1,093 to $1,117.
The increase resulted from a variety of small hikes in the costs of common supplies, and a substantial increase in typical musical instrument rental fees, from $299 in 2011 to $345 in 2012. Previously, costs in the 2011 Huntington Backpack Index had increased by up to 25 percent from 2010, primarily reflecting increased or newly imposed pay-to-play fees for school sports teams and other school-sponsored extracurricular activities.
Huntington Backpack Index Methodology
Each year Huntington obtains classroom-supply lists from a cross-section of schools throughout the six states it serves and compiles a representative list of required supplies and fees. Costs are determined by selecting moderately priced items at online retailers such as Staples and OfficeMax. Value-cost backpacks are priced through Big Lots. More information including the full Huntington Backpack Index at the elementary, middle and high school levels is available at: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/permalink/?ndmViewId=multimedia_detail&eid=50357310&newsLang=en.
About Huntington
Huntington Bancshares Incorporated is a $57 billion regional bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The Huntington National Bank, founded in 1866, provides full-service commercial, small business, and consumer banking services; mortgage banking services; treasury management and foreign exchange services; equipment leasing; wealth and investment management services; trust services; brokerage services; customized insurance brokerage and service programs; and other financial products and services. The principal markets for these services are Huntington’s six-state banking franchise: Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky. The primary distribution channels include a banking network of more than 680 traditional branches and convenience branches located in grocery stores and retirement centers, and through an array of alternative distribution channels including internet and mobile banking, telephone banking, and more than 1,350 ATMs. Through automotive dealership relationships within its six-state banking franchise area and selected other Midwest and New England states, Huntington also provides commercial banking services to the automotive dealers and retail automobile financing for dealer customers.
About DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan
For 125 years the DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan is the first and most experienced hospital in the state dedicated exclusively to the treatment of children. A leader internationally in neurology and neurosurgery, cardiology, oncology, and diagnostic services, it is ranked one of America’s best hospitals for children. More Michigan pediatricians are trained at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan than in any other facility. Children’s Hospital of Michigan is one of eight hospitals operated by the Detroit Medical Center (DMC). The DMC is proud to be the Official Healthcare Services Provider of the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons.
DMC Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Anika Corbett, 313-803-3889
acorbett@dmc.org
or
Huntington
Bancshares Incorporated
Tiffany Jones, 248-417-6428
tiffany.jones@huntington.com
Source: Huntington Bancshares Incorporated
Released August 20, 2012