Major League Baseball Player of the Week Awards Presented by Bank of America Result in Big Win for Little League Baseball Urban Initiative

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa., Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America -- the Official Bank of Baseball(TM) -- today announced that it will present a $75,000 donation to the Little League Baseball(R) Urban Initiative, whose mission is to grow youth participation in the game in America's cities. Bank of America will present the donation during a ceremony prior to the U.S. Championship game of the 59th Little League Baseball World Series on Saturday, August 27.

Bank of America's contribution to the Urban Initiative is part of the company's support for the Major League Baseball(R) Player of the Week program. Throughout the 2005 Major League Baseball season, Bank of America has donated $1,000 to the Urban Initiative on behalf of the American League and National League Player of the Week honorees. The $75,000 donation from Bank of America represents a culmination of the weekly donations generated from the Major League Player of the Week program.

"Little League Baseball, Major League Baseball and Bank of America all share a strong commitment to growing the game of baseball within our local communities," said Gary Wheeler, strategic marketing executive for Bank of America's baseball sponsorships. "Our support for the Urban Initiative demonstrates that commitment and ties our support for baseball at the national level deep into the local neighborhoods that we serve."

"Little League Baseball and Major League Baseball have nurtured a healthy relationship in respect to the Urban Initiative," said David James, director of the Little League Urban Initiative. "Bank of America also has recognized the impact of the Urban Initiative, and on behalf of all of the children, adult volunteers, and local leagues that will benefit from this donation, we wish to thank Bank of America for appreciating the role Little League plays in metropolitan neighborhoods across the country."

Since its conception in 2000, the Little League Urban Initiative has stimulated the addition of 144 teams and 2,100 new players to the game. Most recently, Wrigley Little League in Los Angeles, North Seminole Little League in Tampa, and South Side Little League in Chicago received funding and assistance through the program.

In addition to its charitable contribution, Bank of America will air a series of new television commercials during the Little League World Series. The three fifteen-second spots, entitled "The Pitch, The Swing and The Turn," are designed to showcase Bank of America's support of baseball at all levels - from Little League to the Major Leagues. The TV spots use animation to depict a Little League player growing up into a Minor Leaguer, and finally a Major Leaguer as he throws a pitch, completes a swing and turns a double play.

The ads first debuted during the 2005 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on FOX. Since August 12, the ads have aired during Little League Baseball's World Series coverage on ESPN and ESPN2, and will air during ABC's coverage of the Series on August 27-28.

"We believe that our deep association with baseball is a source of great pride for our customers, associates and community partners," said Rick Parsons, sponsorship and regional marketing executive for Bank of America. "These ads represent the richness of baseball as the American pastime and celebrate our strong support for the game."

As the Official Bank of Baseball, Bank of America has exclusive national sponsorship agreements with Major League Baseball(R), Minor League Baseball(TM) and Little League Baseball(R). Bank of America also sponsors 10 Major League Baseball Clubs and 89 Minor League Baseball Clubs, and supports 17 teams through regional advertising sponsorships on FSN, the YES Network, and Comcast Sports Net.

Since announcing its unprecedented and unique association with America's national pastime, Bank of America has strived to create programs that build stronger, more vibrant communities, from the national level with Major League Baseball to the local level with Minor League Baseball and Little League Baseball. Bank of America's support for the Little League Baseball Urban Initiative is just one way the bank is working to strengthen the fabric of the communities where its customers and associates live, work and play.

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 33 million consumer relationships with more than 5,800 retail banking offices, more than 16,600 ATMs and award-winning online banking with more than 13 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 98 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 85 percent of the Global Fortune 500. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.