First Merchants : joins United Way as campaign match sponsor

FRME

Give from the Heart Challenge showcases bank's commitment to local communities MUNCIE, Ind. - First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ - FRME) has teamed up with Heart of Indiana United Way as the challenge match sponsor for the nonprofit's five-day virtual Give from the Heart Challenge across October 18-22. The challenge's goal is to provide financial support to improve the quality of life in local communities by advancing education, income and health outcomes for all. As challenge match sponsor, First Merchants Bank will match all individual donations up to $25,000 total. The challenge asks residents in five east-central Indiana counties to build awareness and incentivize others to give to earn an additional match. Heart of Indiana United Way teamed up with First Merchants because of the bank's strong ties to local communities and the bank's enduring commitment to investing in the well-being of the communities it serves. The goal of the campaign is to raise funds for programs that provide resources and opportunities for children and families. With almost half of all households in the region struggling to make ends meet, First Merchants remains dedicated to providing a positive impact in Indiana and throughout its territories. "We care strongly about the well-being and prosperity of our local communities," said Mark Hardwick, CEO of First Merchants Bank. "It's a fundamental part of how we operate, and we are excited to support the Give from the Heart Challenge because of its close-to-home focus on benefiting these five counties." Each day of the challenge will focus on one of the counties in the Heart of Indiana United Way region: • Monday - Madison County • Tuesday - Randolph County • Wednesday - Fayette County • Thursday - Henry County • Friday - Delaware County "As a community, we are working to combat the systemic issues that affect the individuals and families in our region who are struggling financially as COVID support ends," said Jeff Parsons, president for the company's Muncie market. "We continue to seek ways to be impactful with our support of the communities we serve and partnering with the United Way team raises both awareness and vital funds for those in need." The Give from the Heart Challenge will be promoted at 1 p.m. each day on Heart of Indiana United Way's social media channels. Through daily hosted videos and various social media posts, the organization will encourage viewers to donate to the campaign by texting Heart2Give to 41444. Proceeds from the campaign will be given to communities in the featured county to invest in resources and programs that put community members on a path to stability and to help resolve pressing issues. "This is an exciting and impactful way to kick off our first campaign as the newly merged Heart of Indiana United Way, and for First Merchants to be showcased as an organization that cares about and is invested in helping local families and communities thrive throughout the entire region," said Jenni Marsh, President and CEO of Heart of Indiana United Way. This year's campaign goal is $2 million. Supporters are encouraged to follow Heart of Indiana United Way on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to view the Give from the Heart Challenge and support the initiative. To learn more about how First Merchants is giving back to its communities, visit https://www.firstmerchants.com/community. ### About First Merchants Corporation First Merchants Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Muncie, Ind. The Corporation has one full-service bank charter, First Merchants Bank. The Bank also operates as First Merchants Private Wealth Advisors (as a division of First Merchants Bank). First Merchants Corporation's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market System under the symbol FRME. Quotations are carried in daily newspapers and can be found on the company's website (www.firstmerchants.com). FIRST MERCHANTS and the Shield Logo are federally registered trademarks of First Merchants Corporation. Attachments Original document Permalink Disclaimer First Merchants Corporation published this content on 15 October 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 15 October 2021 17:51:04 UTC.

Disclaimer

First Merchants Corporation published this content on 15 October 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 15 October 2021 17:51:04 UTC.