First Citizens Bank to Sponsor 'One Amazing Day' Across Triangle

September 18, 2002

RALEIGH - First Citizens Bank will sponsor its first Triangle-wide "One Amazing Day" event on Saturday, Sept. 21.

First Citizens associates, family members and friends will demonstrate their commitment to volunteerism and corporate citizenship by taking part in one of four community events across the Triangle.

"One Amazing Day" extends the bank's promise to "Do Something Amazing" into the community. Volunteer participants will pick up trash from Lake Johnson, restock food supplies at the Food Bank, landscape a local counseling center and walk to raise funds for diabetes research.

"We wanted to do something special that would have a significant impact in our corporate headquarters of the Triangle," said Denise Parks, the bank's manager of community relations. "Our associates are showing their amazing volunteer spirit by joining forces and supporting four local non-profit organizations on the same day."

The expression "Do Something Amazing" reflects the bank's 104-year tradition of caring for its customers and helping them be successful. It also signifies First Citizens' commitment to being a good neighbor and helping the community achieve its goals through philanthropy, leadership and volunteer support efforts such as "One Amazing Day."

First Citizens has more than 1,600 employees in the Triangle area in branches, corporate headquarters offices and at its Data Center. Many of these associates will be found doing something amazing and participating Saturday in one of the following four events:

• "One Amazing Day" participants will come together from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to pull trash from the waters of Raleigh's Lake Johnson on Avent Ferry Road as part of the Big Sweep. First Citizens is a longtime sponsor of the statewide Big Sweep, an effort to remove debris and improve the environment around North Carolina's lakes, rivers and other waterways.
  
  
• Bank volunteers will work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to improve the landscaping of the House of Hope, a non-denominational therapeutic school, home and counseling center for hurting and troubled girls and their families. The House of Hope is located at 408 Covered Bridge Road in Clayton.
  
  
• First Citizens volunteers will also spend the day sorting and repackaging food for another of its long-time partners, the Food Bank of North Carolina at 3808 Tarheel Drive in Raleigh. There will be two shifts: 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
  
  
• Still other "One Amazing Day" participants will walk or run in the Walk to Cure Diabetes that benefits the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. This event begins at 10 a.m. and is held at Nortel Networks in the Research Triangle Park off of Davis Drive and N.C. 54. Associates will donate pledges they received for making the 5K or 10K trek.

In case of rain, the House of Hope event will be rescheduled. Activities at the Big Sweep, Food Bank and the Walk to Cure Diabetes will continue as planned.

Founded in 1898, First Citizens operates 342 branches in more than 200 cities and towns in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Headquartered in Raleigh, the bank has $11.86 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank is committed to providing superior financial services to individual customers and small to mid-sized businesses. For more information about First Citizens Bank and its services, visit firstcitizens.com or call toll-free 1-888-FC DIRECT (1-888-323-4732).

For more information, contact:
Barbara Thompson
(919) 716-2716
First Citizens BancShares