From now through Veteran's Day in November, Bank of America is showing its support for the military, and the nearest location where you can help is at the Van Nuys banking center (6551 Van Nuys Blvd).
Each day, military men and women make countless sacrifices to serve and protect our country. In an effort to show appreciation for their dedication, Bank of America has relaunched its “Express Your Thanks” campaign.
From Memorial Day through Veterans Day, the bank invites employees, customers and individuals to share their support for our military through social media, at Dodgers Stadium and in select banking centers, including the Van Nuys banking center (6551 Van Nuys Blvd), the Panorama City banking center (8324 Van Nuys Blvd), the Canyon Country banking center (19120 Soledad Canyon Rd), and the Port Hueneme (755 W Channel Island Blvd) banking center on May 31.
During the campaign, Bank of America employees, customers and other individuals can write messages and upload images or videos on www.bankofamerica.com/troopthanks, or posting on Twitter with #troopthanks. Each expression of gratitude will generate a $1 donation from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, with the goal of providing up to $1 million to Welcome Back Veterans and Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), to help these heroes transition back into civilian life. Also, at Dodgers games between now and June 9, game attendees will be able to express their gratitude throughout the stadium.
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural “Express Your Thanks” campaign, Bank of America will relaunch the program on Memorial Day with the goal of donating up to $1 million – allocated evenly between Welcome Back Veterans and Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) – to support the critical needs of military service members and veterans.
“With more than 250,000 service men and women leaving active duty this year alone, raising awareness of the unique challenges they face as they integrate back into the workforce is more important than ever,” said Jeff Cathey, senior military affairs executive at Bank of America.
“Through our ‘Express Your Thanks’ campaign, we’re helping foster a real connection between the public and our military in a meaningful and easy way while supporting programs like Wounded Warrior Project and Welcome Back Veterans, which help these heroes make their transition back to civilian life.” To launch the campaign, Bank of America will partner with Charlotte Motor Speedway, Major League Baseball and MLB clubs including the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, to provide fans with the opportunity to express their thanks at stadiums now through June 9.
Bank of America customers and other individuals also will have the opportunity to write their messages of support or upload images or videos at select banking centers throughout the country from May 28 through June 6. For taking part in either of these actions, funds donated by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation will support economic empowerment programs provided by WWP and will help fund Welcome Back Veterans’ national network of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Centers of Excellence created by America’s leading university hospitals.
“Efforts like ‘Express Your Thanks’ are a perfect example of how we can support the service men and women returning from the battlefield while recognizing the sacrifices they’ve made,” said Tim Brosnan, executive vice president of business for Major League Baseball, which in partnership with the Robert R. McCormick Foundation created Welcome Back Veterans in 2008.
“We’re proud to be part of Bank of America’s campaign to honor service members and generate funding for programs that help veterans facing PTSD.” Later this year, Bank of America will activate the campaign at additional key sporting events and markets including the MLB All-Star Game in New York City, the Bank of America 500 in Charlotte and with the bank’s NFL partners, including the Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, New England Patriots, and Washington Redskins.
“After a very successful Express Your Thanks campaign last year with Bank of America, we’re excited that it is continuing, and that we’re a part of the campaign again in 2013,” said Adam Silva, chief development officer, WWP. “The financial support this provides and the gratitude it generates through heartfelt messages makes a significant impact in the lives of the Wounded Warriors we work with on a daily basis.”
Bank of America employee volunteer activities in support of military are ongoing and will continue during the campaign as an opportunity to extend the company’s support of military service members and their families. Last year, employee volunteers donated nearly 23,000 hours of volunteer time and expertise through activities ranging from packing care packages for military serving overseas to providing financial education to returning veterans. Bank of America has supported active military members, veterans and their families for more than 90 years. Part of that history includes the active recruitment and hiring of service men and women.
Today, nearly 6,000 military service members and veterans work for the company, which has been recognized for its efforts to support military employees on G.I. Jobs magazine’s list of top military-friendly employers and through numerous awards from the Department of Defense and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Since 2009, Bank of America has provided more than $9 million in financial support to nonprofits who serve the military.
The company also offers specialized mortgage support and programs for military customers and their families, including a dedicated servicing unit. Through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, Bank of America has donated homes to service members and their families.
Learn more at www.bankofamerica.com/about and follow us on Twitter at @BofA_Community. Visit the Bank of America newsroom for more Bank of America news. www.bankofamerica.com
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