2,500 Chase, Bank One Branches Will Accept Donations for Hurricane Katrina Relief.

CHICAGO -- Nearly 2,500 Chase and Bank One branches in 17 states will begin accepting cash and check donations today to help families affected by Hurricane Katrina.

The money will be routed directly to the American Red Cross specifically for Hurricane Katrina relief.

"We are making it as easy as possible for all those people across the country who want to help," said Charles Scharf, head of Retail Financial Services for Chase. "They simply need to stop by any Chase branch."

Checks should be made out to the American Red Cross with "Hurricane Relief 2005" on the memo line. To find the nearest Chase or Bank One branch, go the www.chase.com and click on "Find Us."

"We understand the challenges the families in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama are facing because 1,100 of our employees and their families live in the New Orleans area," Scharf said

Chase's 60 branches in the Greater New Orleans area remain closed, while most of the other 116 Chase branches in Louisiana are open. The company also has bank branches in Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

The company also is working on programs related to affected consumer, small business and commercial customers. It is preparing a disaster-relief loan program for consumers and small businesses in South Louisiana, and will work individually with any customers affected by the hurricane. In addition, the company is working on relief efforts for the employees.

In addition, parent company JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its employees will donate up to $3 million to help families affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Chase operates a network of more than 2,500 branches and 6,900 ATMs. It is part of JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), a leading global financial services firm with assets of $1.2 trillion and operations in more than 50 countries. The firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers and businesses, financial transaction processing, asset and wealth management, and private equity. Under the JPMorgan, Chase and Bank One brands, the firm serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients. Information about the firm is available at www.jpmorganchase.com.