BOSTON, Nov. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sovereign Bank, N.A., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Banco Santander, S.A., today announced its Swipe4Change Sovereign Bank Debit MasterCard® holiday donation program.   From November 16, 2012 through December 31, 2012, Sovereign Bank will donate one penny from every Sovereign Debit MasterCard purchase of $15.00 or less to Children's Miracle Network Hospitals supporting one of three local hospitals: Boston Children's Hospital, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York.

"Sovereign Bank is proud to join with our valued customers this holiday season to support the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals serving Boston, New York, and Philadelphia and the vital work that they do for children and families," said Craig Bundell, Head of Portfolio Management - cards division at Sovereign Bank. 

"Children's Miracle Network Hospitals rely on the generosity of good corporate citizens like Sovereign Bank to ensure that children in the community have access to the best care possible when they need it," said Clark Sweat, chief corporate partnerships officer, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. "Our member hospitals in Boston, Philadelphia and New York, and the children they serve, will greatly benefit from this promotion."

In 2012, Sovereign Bank has sponsored exciting sweepstakes that rewarded its customers for using their Sovereign Debit MasterCard for everyday purchases.  The "Morning Rush Sweepstakes" entered customers to win the value of coffee for a year every time they used their debit card for a morning purchase.  And during the summer, Sovereign Bank invited customers to "Celebrate Cash Independence," giving cardholders one automatic entry into weekly drawings for every Sovereign Debit MasterCard purchase under $17.76, in recognition of the year America declared its independence.

"Throughout the year, Sovereign Bank has rewarded our customers for making everyday purchases using their Sovereign Debit MasterCard," Bundell added.  "Swipe4Change is a meaningful way for Sovereign Bank to give back to the communities in which we live and work every time a customer makes those same everyday purchases."

The promotion has a maximum donation of $100,000 which will benefit the following Children's Miracle Network Hospitals: Boston Children's Hospital, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York.  The total amount will be evenly distributed among the three hospitals.  Transactions using a Sovereign Business Debit MasterCard and ATM or International transactions are not eligible.

For more information about the holiday rewards program, please visit http://www.sovereignbank.com/swipe4change.

About Sovereign Bank, N.A., Santander Holdings USA, Inc. and Banco Santander, S.A.
Sovereign Bank, N.A. is among the top 25 banks in the United States with principal presence in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.  Sovereign has 721 branches, 2,195 ATMs and over 8,800 team members.  Sovereign Bank's principal regulator is the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).  Sovereign Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve Bank System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC").  For more information on Sovereign Bank, visit http://www.sovereignbank.com or call 877-SOV-BANK.

Santander Holdings USA, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Banco Santander, S.A., and parent company of Sovereign Bank, N.A. Banco Santander is a retail and commercial global bank, with a presence in 10 main markets: U.S., Germany, UK, Poland, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Spain and Portugal.  Founded in 1857, Santander has more than 102 million customers, approximately 14,500 branches – more than any other international bank – and 188,000 employees.  Santander was recently recognized as the Best Global Bank in 2012 by Euromoney magazine.  For more information on Santander, visit http://www.santander.com.

About Children's Miracle Network Hospitals
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals® raises funds for 170 children's hospitals across the United States and Canada, which, in turn, use the money where it's needed the most. When a donation is given it stays in the community, helping local kids. Since 1983, Children's Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $4 billion, most of it $1 at a time. These donations have gone to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all in support of the mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Learn more at CMNHospitals.org.

SOURCE Sovereign Bank