Charter One's 'Making Music Matter' Program Generates More Than $100,000 for Chicago Area Nonprofit Organizations

Charter One's 'Making Music Matter' Program Generates More Than $100,000 for Chicago Area Nonprofit Organizations

Innovative Fundraising Initiative Expands Access to the Arts and Music Education for Boys & Girls Club of Chicago, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, Merit School of Music And People's Music School

CHICAGO, Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Charter One announced today that its "Making Music Matter" program has successfully raised more than $100,000 during the summer-long initiative, which the bank will use to support four local nonprofit organizations that provide access to the arts and music education to Chicagoans of all ages.

Having just concluded its second year, the "Making Music Matter" program collected donations, including musical instruments, at select concerts this past summer at the Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island. Charter One also offered members of the public the opportunity to contribute to the program at its more than 120 branch locations throughout Chicagoland.

Proceeds and instruments will be given to these 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organizations:

   -- Boys & Girls Club of Chicago: The Boys & Girls Club of Chicago serves      more than 17,500 young people throughout Chicago each year. Funds from      "Making Music Matter" will be used to allow more kids to participate in      the after-school music program at The Valentine Club in Bridgeport.   -- Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras: The Chicago Youth Symphony      Orchestras is recognized internationally as one of the finest youth      orchestras in the United States. Charter One's support will benefit the      Music Pathways program, which serves more than 5,000 Chicago Public      school students. Concert musicians will be playing instruments that      were donated by "Making Music Matter."   -- Merit School of Music: The Merit School of Music is recognized      nationally as an exemplary community music school that offers      comprehensive training to a diverse population of students. Program      funds will support the 4,500 students involved in Merit's "Bridges:      Partners in Music" initiative, an in-school music education program      that began in 1984 in response to requests from Chicago Public Schools,      which earlier had eliminated its music curriculum.   -- People's Music School: The People's Music School provides free, high      quality music instruction and performance opportunities for personal      and professional growth, and cultivates an informed and appreciative      audience for classical music. The contributions from "Making Music      Matter" have enabled the school to purchase glockenspiels, xylophones      and other instruments for musical theory classes to support more than      1,000 students.    

"Charter One is proud to support the valuable efforts of our partner organizations in bringing musical education to those who might not otherwise have these opportunities," said Scott C. Swanson, president, Charter One, Illinois. "We are grateful to our customers and community members who made donations in our branches and also to the thousands of Charter One Pavilion concert attendees who have made contributions all summer long. With their help, "Making Music Matter" has continued to truly make a difference in the lives of young people."

About Charter One

Charter One is a division of RBS Citizens, N.A., operating in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. It has 466 branches and more than 780 ATMs. It has 121 branches and 358 ATMs in Illinois. Charter One's Web site is http://www.charterone.com/.

RBS Citizens, N.A. is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $159 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. 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). CFG's Web site is http://www.citizensbank.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Charter One

CONTACT: Peter Duckler, +1-312-649-0371, of HLB Communications, for
Charter One

Web site: http://www.charterone.com/
http://www.citizensbank.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment