First Citizens Welcomes Carolina Courage Player to Mill Pond Branch Grand Opening

Courage star Nel Fettig, team mascot Roary to meet fans Saturday, July 12

June 17, 2003

CARY, N.C. - Parents, children and fans are invited to meet Carolina Courage soccer star Nel Fettig and team mascot Roary on Saturday, July 12, 10 a.m. to noon, at First Citizens Bank's new Mill Pond office in Cary.

Their appearance is the highlight of a community grand-opening event for the bank's new branch located at 3494 Kildaire Farm Road at the Mill Pond Village Shopping Center. First Citizens is the official banking partner of the Carolina Courage for checking and savings account services.

Visitors to the branch can register to win Courage tickets or a $250 savings bond. The branch will hold activities for families and provide balloons and prizes. Popcorn and cotton candy will be served.

“First Citizens is proud of the relationships we're building in Cary,” said Marc Horgan, the bank’s Western Wake market executive. “This grand-opening event is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to the community and lending support to the continued success of the Courage, an organization that positively promotes our area and professional women's sports.”

Fettig will be on hand to sign autographs and talk with fans. The Courage defender played in the 2002 WUSA All-Star game for the South team. Prior to joining the Courage, she played for the New York Power. She captained the Raleigh Wings of the W-League from 1998 to 2000 and was an All-American at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1995-’97.

“As a bank, we strive to help our customers achieve their financial goals and ‘Do something amazing,’ ” Horgan said. “As the WUSA defending champions, Nel and her Courage teammates are amazing athletes as well as role models to young people in the community.”

The 2,900-square-foot branch is located in the Mill Pond shopping complex at the intersection of Kildaire Farm and Ten Ten roads.

Holly Springs resident Jamie Ferguson is the branch manager. Hours for the lobby and three drive-through lanes are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The branch also includes a convenient drive-up ATM.

The Mill Pond office is the third new First Citizens branch to open in Western Wake County within the last four years. The bank opened its Cary Weston office at 2205 Evans Road in 1999 and its Apex main branch at 1070 Vision Drive in 2001.

First Citizens currently operates 25 branches in Wake County, which is the company’s largest franchise. The bank has offices in Raleigh (13), Apex, Cary (four), Fuquay-Varina, Garner (two), Knightdale, Wendell, Wake Forest (Wakefield) and Zebulon.

First Citizens employs 5,000 associates with more than 1,500 in Wake County, including those in corporate offices.

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 $12.39 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).

Barbara Thompson
(919) 716-2716
First Citizens Bank