MILWAUKEE, Nov. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- BMO Harris Bank is pleased to announce this year's annual holiday display theme, Holiday Junction, which will feature BMO's collection of more than 150 life-sized, costumed animals. Celebrating its 40^th year, a train-themed winter wonderland will pull into the downtown Milwaukee lobby just in time to spread some holiday cheer. The display is free and open to the public.

For each visitor to the display, BMO Harris Bank will contribute $5 to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, the leading domestic hunger relief charity in the nation. The holiday display donations will help Feeding America in its efforts to prevent hunger and malnutrition by working with food banks across the nation and engaging the community to act to achieve a hunger-free America.  

"For many families, our holiday display has long been a celebration of a warm and memorable family tradition, and this year, we're proud to continue the addition of a charitable experience that will help those in need of food during the holiday season," said Brad Chapin, Executive Vice President, Personal Banking, BMO Harris Bank.

"By including a donation for those who might be struggling during the holiday season, BMO Harris Bank has evolved its great tradition to help families and visitors give back to the community even more," said Bonnie Bellehumeur, Executive Director of Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin.

This year celebrates the 40^th year of this annual tradition of bringing the sights and sounds of the holidays to BMO Harris Bank customers and the community. Over the Thanksgiving weekend, BMO Harris employee volunteers will transform the downtown bank's lobby into the 1,300-square-foot display with more than 20 freshly cut evergreen trees, thousands of lights, and several feet of "snow."

Display hours:
BMO Harris Bank's Holiday Display, located in the lobby of the BMO Harris location at 770 N. Water St., will be open from Monday, Nov. 26, through Wednesday, Jan. 2. It is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. On weekends, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day, the display will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Special Note: The lobby will close at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8 and Monday, Dec. 24; and at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 19 and Wednesday, Jan. 2.

Please also visit www.bmoharris.com/holiday for hours and directions.

Display history
The BMO Harris Bank (formerly M&I) holiday collection of animals began in 1972, when 30 life-sized Steiff animals were discovered at the world's largest toy store, FAO Schwartz in New York City. BMO Harris's collection of Steiff animals has steadily grown to more than 150. Steiff animals are collectors' items originally made in Germany by Margarete Steiff, who hand-stitched the first tiny elephant and stuffed it with straw. Many of the figures are no longer being made. The world-renowned Steiff Company made the original teddy bear in 1903.

Over the past 40 years, BMO Harris's Holiday Displays have included a fishing tugboat, a Victorian park, an igloo at the North Pole, a Yukon train, an ice palace, a candy factory, and 1950s nostalgia featuring antique Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

About BMO Harris Bank
Based in Chicago, BMO Harris Bank N.A. provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through over 600 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona and Florida. BMO Harris Bank's commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the U.S. Deposit and loan products and services provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris BankSM is a trade name used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with 1,600 branches, and a retail deposit base of approximately $180 billion.

SOURCE BMO Harris Bank