Release Date: 3/11/2010 Contact: Charles Herndon, 410.887.6111

Leaders, parents to cheer student participants in 14th annual M&T Bank 24 Challenge®

Who: Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Joe A. Hairston and Michelle Denoncourt, M&T Bank's regional manager for Northern Baltimore County, are expected to be among the community leaders and parents on hand to cheer students competing in the 14th annual M&T Bank 24 Challenge® Math Tournament.

What: During this event, about 240 children in grades 5-8 from 99 county schools will compete by solving 24 Game®flashcards. This fast-paced, mental math game is designed to improve abilities in computation, deductive reasoning, and problem solving. Five grand champions will win $700 U.S. Savings Bonds from M&T Bank.

When: Saturday, March 13, 2010, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. The finals will begin at about 10:30 a.m. with an awards ceremony to follow at about 11:30 a.m.

Where: Crowne Plaza Baltimore North
2004 Greenspring Drive
Timonium, Maryland 21093

Background:
The centerpiece of the tournament is a fast-paced math game called 24®. Developed by Suntex International, Inc., the flashcard-style math game is designed to improve skills in mental computation, pattern recognition, and deductive reasoning. Each card presents four numbers that can be configured to total 24. The challenge is to determine what combination of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and/or division of single-digit whole numbers, double-digit whole numbers, or integers will yield that solution.

M&T Bank, the sole corporate sponsor of this mathematics initiative in Baltimore County Public Schools, will support the awarding of savings bonds for this annual spring tournament. Local school winners in each division will receive $100 savings bonds, and tournament Grand Champions in five divisions of play (two elementary divisions and three middle school divisions) will be awarded $700 U.S. Savings Bonds.

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