Well known for its sponsorship of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, the institution is about to support the 30th run in October. The bank has been renowned as the main sponsor for this extremely charitable event since 1994. Last year, greater than $9.5 million was raised in support of approximately 60 charities, covering the gamut from disease research to a large effort in decreasing homelessness.
Established in 1927 as National Builders Bank of Chicago and renamed LaSalle in 1940, this highly respected institution is the largest bank headquartered in Chicago, holding a sizeable $75 billion in assets. Via 135 retail locations and 450 ATMs across 20 states, LaSalle provides a wide range of services not only to individual clients, but also to small businesses, middle-market companies, and institutions.
The institution also offers specialized services through direct and indirect subsidiaries, LaSalle Financial Services, Inc., LaSalle National Leasing Corporation, and LaSalle Business Credit, LLC. Its parent company, LaSalle Bank Corporation, also in Chicago, holds an amazing $118.3 billion in assets, and is an indirect subsidiary of ABN AMRO, a leading international bank.
With regard to the marathon, LaSalle expects approximately 45,000 runners and about 1.5 million onlookers, a far cry from the 4,200 runners that ran the first race in 1977. Starting about 30 days before the October 7th race day, the city begins to sport a transformation of marathon messages on buses and banners on street poles. There is a lot of excitement leading up to the big day. There is a whole team of professionals dedicated to making this an event to remember.
“The transformation of the city that takes place between now and race day is remarkable,” said Carey Pinkowski, executive race director of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. “We are busy preparing for race day and the masses that will line the streets looking to feed off of the energy that exudes from the runners. This series allows us to share that passion, dedication and enthusiasm with the entire world, further expanding the ripple effect of energy that is generated from the Marathon.”
Furthermore, this popular marathon has earned the prestige to become part of the World Marathon Majors, championship style competition that began in 2006. Other marathons included are the annual races in Boston, London, Berlin, and New York.
The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon team has even launched a totally redesigned web site this year in order to keep everyone informed as to the latest happenings regarding the race.
“The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon decided to take the opportunity to raise the bar of the industry and develop a site that would not only further engage its audience, but reach out to non-runners alike with an opportunity to dial into the never-ending energy the Marathon generates,” said Shawn Platt, LaSalle Bank’s Senior Vice President and Director of Brand Management and Sports Marketing.
How has LaSalle been so successful for so long? Maybe it’s due at least in large part to the philosophy at LaSalle. The bank’s executives foster active involvement in the community amongst its employees. Not only does the bank sponsor the big marathon, but it also supports a wide range of events that employees are encouraged to participate in so that they continue to show community commitment. Besides the annual marathon, the institution offers a tax assistance program and sponsors valuable forums.
For example, last year, LaSalle sponsored a forum hosted by Local Initiatives Support Corporation reporting on the results of a study called Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicag. The report was initiated by LaSalle to find out whether residents of communities with limited or no access to grocery stores with good nutritious foods deal with serious health problems. Panelists from several agencies responded to the report, identifying challenges and opportunities in meeting the nutritional needs of the underserved areas.
LaSalle also offers a Financial Library resource and a Life Event Center online. There are valuable blocks of information and interactive tools covering numerous subjects. Some of the resources include information on retirement, buying a new home or car, education, tax information, starting a life together, identity protection, and managing wealth.
Going forward, LaSalle plans to bring to the Bank of America table a large portfolio of valuable contributions as they become part of their team at the end of this year. In addition, according to Lauren Mintz of LaSalle, the institution looks forward to continuing to sponsor the annual race for many years to come.
