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MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - March 11, 2011) - Are you planning to attend the Rimouski National Bank Challenger to be held at the Rimouski Tennis Centre from March 12 to 20? Why not also do a good deed and bring in your used tennis balls? If you bring in 12 old balls, you could win one of the following prizes:

• a can of three new tennis balls;
• one of five HEAD Penn equipment packages valued at $350 each;
• a pair of tickets for the 2011 Rogers Cup semi-finals and finals presented by National Bank, valued at $400;
• A $1,000 National Bank GIC;
• a multitude of participation prizes.

The dedicated squad from the Financial Group will be on hand to greet tennis fans and collect their used balls from March 16 to 20 at the National Bank stand, located at the main entrance of Tennis de Rimouski.

The National Bank Financial Group used tennis ball recovery program is currently in its fifth year. Under the program, donated tennis balls are distributed to various Quebec school boards to be placed on the legs of students' chairs. This initiative, undertaken in response to a real need expressed by local schools, seeks to reduce classroom noise and promote a better learning environment for children. This year, balls will be distributed to Rimouski-area schools through the Les Phares School Board.

To date, more than 375,000 tennis balls have been recovered and distributed throughout Quebec. In addition to helping protect the environment, the tennis balls collected were distributed to 2,200 classrooms, benefiting countless students and teachers.

To learn more about the tennis tournaments, or to order used tennis balls for schools and school boards, go to [ www.nbc.ca/recycling ].

About National Bank of Canada

National Bank of Canada is an integrated group that provides comprehensive financial services to consumers, small and medium-sized enterprises and large corporations in its core market, while offering specialized services to its clients elsewhere in the world. National Bank offers a full array of banking services, including retail, corporate and investment banking. It is an active player on international capital markets and, through its subsidiaries, is involved in securities brokerage, insurance and wealth management as well as mutual fund and retirement plan management. National Bank has over $152 billion in assets and, together with its subsidiaries, employs 18,407 people. The Bank's securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (NA:TSX). For more information, visit the Bank's website at [ www.nbc.ca ]. To access National Bank Financial Group's financial education portal, visit [ www.clearfacts.ca ].

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