Bank of America Issues 'Hits for Hunger' Challenge to MLB All-Stars During 80th Midsummer Classic, Pledges $5,000 for Every Recorded Hit to Benefit Feeding America

July 7, 2009 — When Major League Baseball All-Stars step to the plate during the 80th Midsummer Classic, they will have an added incentive to produce hits. In response to the growing need for emergency food assistance nationwide, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation will donate $5,000 for every recorded hit in the MLB All-Star Game to Feeding America, the nation's leading hunger-relief organization.

Bank of America's "Hits for Hunger" program also allows MLB fans to get involved and help support Americans at risk of hunger. Fans can log on to http://www.feedingamerica.org/ and make their own contribution to help provide food to people across the country. The Bank of America Charitable Foundation will make the $5,000 per hit contributions and match the total online donations made to Feeding America during the July 14 MLB All-Star Game, up to a maximum contribution of $100,000. Funds generated through "Hits for Hunger" will directly benefit the St. Louis Area Foodbank, one of the 206 food banks in Feeding America's network. The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is focused on supporting charitable initiatives and celebrating community service.

"Bank of America's support could not come at a better time," said Frank Finnegan, executive director, St. Louis Area Foodbank. "Over the past year, we've seen more than a 15% increase in the need for food from the agencies we support. Whether it's the people who have sought assistance before or the many new faces needing aid, we're going to need help sustaining our efforts to get food on the table over the long haul."

Bank of America's "Hits for Hunger" program builds upon the Bank of America Charitable Foundation's recent $1 million donation to Feeding America. According to a recent survey released by Feeding America, demand at Feeding America's food banks increased an average of 30-percent since last year, with many food banks reporting even higher increases. The survey also found that people are eating less food, smaller meals and even skipping meals because they simply are without funds to buy food. A large portion of the bank's grant was distributed to food banks that provide food and groceries to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens, Kids Cafes, senior meal programs and other emergency feeding programs throughout the nation.