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Citizens Bank donates $25,000 and sponsors free Community Day at the African American Museum in Philadelphia
More than 5,000 expected to visit the museum on Jan. 21PHILADELPHIA (January 10, 2008) - Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania announced today that it is donating $25,000 to the African American Museum in Philadelphia and will sponsor the museum’s first Community Day on Monday, January 21 in commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The sponsorship will provide free admission to the museum on January 21, 2008 as well as special events and the Citizens Bank Scavenger Hunt for Heritage aimed at helping children learn about the museum.
“Through both word and deed, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. worked tirelessly throughout his extraordinary life to promote justice and equality for all Americans,” said Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, Citizens Bank’s President and CEO for Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. “Forty years after his passing, his message of hope, fairness and community service continues to inspire new generations. Citizens Bank is proud to honor his legacy by sponsoring the first free Community Day and is delighted to open the doors of the African American Museum in Philadelphia.”
At a news conference held at the African American Museum, Citizens Bank presented the $25,000 gift and outlined some of the special events and entertainment that will be available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Community Day. Those events will include a historical re-enactment of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by actor Gary Giles and performances by the Mount Carmel Youth Orchestra, the Freedom Choir of Philadelphia and the Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble. Approximately 5,000 people are expected to visit the museum on Community Day.
In addition to the special exhibits and performances occurring at the museum on January 21, Citizens Bank has created the Citizens Bank Scavenger Hunt for Heritage to make it especially fun and exciting for children to explore the museum. Each child will be given a list and asked to find specific artifacts located throughout the museum. Children who bring their completed scavenger hunt list back to the Citizens Bank table in the main lobby of the museum will receive a special prize, compliments of Citizens Bank.
“We are extremely grateful to Citizens Bank for its generous support of the museum and for allowing us to open our doors to the community on January 21, 2008,” said Romona Riscoe Benson, President and CEO of the African American Museum in Philadelphia. “Community Day will help us attract new community members to the Museum and to showcase our galleries and Pennsylvania artists.”
In addition to the special events, anyone that plans to attend Community Day will be asked to participate in the “We Feed Our People” project. AAMP staff and volunteers will be providing meals for the homeless in the museum’s parking lot. Attendees will be asked to bring new blankets, sleeping bags, wool socks, caps, and scarves which will also be distributed. Toiletries collected will be taken to local women’s shelters. Donations will only be accepted at the museum and can be made on and before Community Day.
More than 20 volunteers from Citizens Bank will be on hand to greet visitors and add to the family-oriented fun at the museum, located at 701 Arch Street in Philadelphia.
About Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania
Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania is a state-chartered bank with dual headquarters in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It has approximately 400 branches and more than 660 ATMs throughout Pennsylvania. It also operates 13 retail branches and 26 ATMs in southern New Jersey and a commercial loan office in Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $159 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I.
Citizens Financial Group, through its subsidiaries, has more than 1,600 branches, 3,300 ATMs and 24,500 employees. CFG’s two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 13-state branch network under the Citizens Bank brand in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, and the Charter One brand in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. CFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 states. It is one of the 10 largest commercial banking companies in the United States ranked by assets and deposits. CFG is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).
About the African American Museum in Philadelphia
Founded in 1976 in celebration of the nation's Bicentennial, the African American Museum in Philadelphia is the first institution funded and built by a major municipality to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. Throughout its evolution, the museum has objectively interpreted and presented the achievements and aspirations of African Americans from pre-colonial times to the current day.
The museum is committed to telling the story of African Americans in all its permutations: family life, the Civil Rights movement, arts and entertainment, sports, medicine, architecture, politics, religion, law and technology. The AAMP houses four galleries and an auditorium, each of which offer exhibitions anchored by one of our three dominant themes: the African Diaspora, the Philadelphia Story and the Contemporary Narrative.
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