MBNA Canada Donates $43,500 to Ottawa Charities in Support of Volunteerism

OTTAWA, April 21 /PRNewswire/ -- MBNA Canada Bank announced today that it will donate $43,500 to 45 different charitable organizations in the Ottawa region in recognition of the extraordinary volunteer efforts of MBNA associates.

In 2005, MBNA Canada associates volunteered more than 25,000 hours to a wide variety of charities, from soup kitchens to literacy programs, which make a difference in the lives of thousands. Giving back to the community is one of MBNA's core values. Last year, 80% of MBNA Canada associates took the time to volunteer.

This year, MBNA Canada is recognizing 72 volunteers who qualify for the company's Volunteer Service Donation Program. MBNA associates qualify by volunteering 40 or more hours with a particular charitable organization in a calendar year.

"Volunteering benefits everyone, both the charities and the volunteers who participate. We are very pleased to support the people of MBNA Canada in the great work they do in our community," says Joseph A. DeSantis, President of MBNA Canada.

"We feel very privileged to be partnering with an organization such as MBNA Canada who is a leader in many areas of community development and philanthropy and shares our vision that the well being of children, youth and families is essential to the quality of life in our community," says Barbara Mackinnon, Executive Director, Children's Aid Society of Ottawa.

MBNA congratulates the following 2006 MBNA Volunteer Service Donation recipients:

Munaf Allibhai Sabiha Islam Eveline Donkersteeg Sean Mullen Jillian Timperon Lee Goulding Steve Laurin Ryan McGrath Patrick Adam Ramez Hanafi Mirna Al-Mahouli Terry Andruchow Francois Trottier Teresa Currie Claudio Melone Chris Baker Anne Campeau Louise Tessier Jennifer Nihmey Daniel Patton Kim Clost Scott Thompson Trevor Gillis Trevor Clost Svetlana Valkova Godgift Agim Kirstin Fearon Elgin Montgomery Deidre Royer Lynn Person-Henri Sina Awad Brett Simmons Mathieu Turpin Jean De Ladurantaye Laura Coxworth Marie-Josee Duford Wendy Mitchell Brock Doucet Robert Paiement Jennifer Mayhew Carol Brazeau Al St. Pierre Donovan Houston Jennifer Coupar Victor Chenier Frederic Birt Karen Dunphy Erin Wilson Kabelo Siziba Quinn Redekop Marion Joly Crystal Pruys Lee Rose Julie Paiement Rick Renaud Al Mackey Andrew Wilkinson Vitali Verkhovski Nora Kennedy Derek Pulice Scott Hunter Catherine Tattrie Adam Smith Denise Morrissey Ryan Vekeman Kveta Kaplan Jennifer Lacelle About MBNA Canada

MBNA Canada is the leading provider of co-branded and affinity credit card programs in Canada, and the second largest MasterCard issuer in the country. MBNA Canada credit cards and related products and services are endorsed by nearly 500 Canadian organizations. MBNA Canada provides financial products and services throughout Canada from its headquarters in Ottawa. Through a merger between MBNA and Bank of America that was completed effective Jan. 1, 2006, MBNA Canada is now a subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. For more information about MBNA Canada, visit the company's web site at http://www.mbna.com/canada.

About Bank of America

Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 38 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 5,800 retail banking offices, more than 16,700 ATMs and award-winning online banking with more than 15 million active users. Bank of America is the No. 1 overall Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in the United States and the No. 1 SBA lender to minority-owned small businesses. The company serves clients in 150 countries and has relationships with 97 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 79 percent of the Global Fortune 500. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

http://www.bankofamerica.com/