01/19/2012
Community Boating Center named Champion in Action in youth initiatives category
Nonprofit agency receives unrestricted $35,000 grant, PR and volunteer support
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (January 19, 2012) – Citizens Bank and NBC 10 has named Community Boating Center in Providence the first 2012 Champion in Action® in the category of youth initiatives. Community Boating Center will receive a $35,000 unrestricted grant, media coverage, and extensive promotional and volunteer support for its outstanding work.
The boating center will use the grant to grow its after-school and full-day summer camp sessions, provide youth with "Sailorship" scholarships and build initiatives that expand water-based activities as an alternative to static out-of-school activities.
"Citizens Bank is pleased to name Community Boating Center the newest Champion in Action in the youth initiative category," said Ned Handy, President, Citizens Bank, Rhode Island and Connecticut. "This award will help Community Boating Center continue to offer dynamic educational programs linking youth to sailing, boating and the environment."
"NBC is proud to recognize Community Boating Center for its programs that promote building self- esteem and teamwork, and advance environmental awareness," said Vic Vetters, Vice President and General Manager of NBC 10. "Through its initiatives, youth develop lifelong problem-solving, critical-thinking, and leadership skills. We are pleased to name it a Champion in Action."
Launched in 2002, Champions in Action is a joint initiative of Citizens Bank and NBC 10 to recognize and support nonprofit organizations for their contributions to Rhode Island communities. The year 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the program, which has awarded nearly $1 million in grants and promotional support to 38 nonprofits in Rhode Island.
Community Boating Center provides a wide array of educational programs, including:
- Nationally recognized STEM initiative that teaches skills associated with science, technology, engineering and math;
- Treasure Tracker GPS geocaching that uses the power of GPS technology to trace local history and learn navigation skills.
As a Champion in Action, the organization will receive:
- A $35,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from the Citizens Charitable Foundation;
- Media coverage from NBC 10, including public service announcements and television profiles over the course of six months;
- Volunteer support from Citizens and NBC 10 colleagues;
- The opportunity for the organization's executive director to participate in a "president-to- president" mentorship with Citizens Bank of Rhode Island and Connecticut President Ned Handy;
- Promotional support highlighting the Champion in Action in all Citizens Bank branch DCN screens and on its ATMs;
- Exposure on both Citizens Bank and NBC 10 websites.
"It is a tremendous honor for our organization to be selected as a Champion in Action," said John O'Flaherty, Executive Director of Community Boating Center. "The award will provide youth the opportunity to learn respect for the wind, the water, and each other while experiencing Rhode Island's greatest resource, Narragansett Bay."
Applications for the second 2012 Champion in Action in the neighborhood revitalization category are due Friday, March 2, at 5 p.m. The winner will be announced in July. Eligible nonprofits should apply online at www.citizensbank.com/community/champions.
Prior Rhode Island Champions in Action include: Bayside Family Healthcare in North Kingstown, the House of Hope in Warwick, the Providence Black Repertory Company in Providence, the Woonsocket Neighborhood Development Corporation in Woonsocket, McAuley House in Providence, TechACCESS in Warwick, Sojourner House in Providence, Pawtucket Citizens Development Corporation in Pawtucket, Rhode Island Free Clinic in Providence, the Genesis Center in Providence, the Norman Bird Sanctuary in Middletown, New Urban Arts in Providence, West Elmwood Housing Development Corporation in Providence, Tides Family Services located throughout the state, Community MusicWorks in Providence, the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Newport, Welcome House of South County in South Kingstown's Peace Dale neighborhood, Franklin Court Independent Living in Bristol, RiverzEdge Arts Project in Woonsocket, Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council in Providence, the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence in Providence, Church Community Housing Corporation in Newport, Goodwill Industries of Rhode Island in Providence, Youth in Action in Providence, Molar Express in Cranston, Everett Dance Theatre in Providence, Olneyville Housing Corporation in Providence, the ASPIRE Program at the RI Foster Parents Association in East Providence, the Elizabeth Buffum Chace Center in Warwick, Amos House in Providence, Connecting for Children and Families in Woonsocket, Southside Community Land Trust in Providence, Kids First in Providence, Social Venture Partners Rhode Island in Providence, Farm Fresh Rhode Island, in Pawtucket, SWAP in Providence, and Lucy's Hearth in Middletown.
For more information about the Citizens Bank / NBC 10 Champions in Action program, visit www.citizensbank.com/community/champions or www.turnto10.com. To learn more about how to contribute to Community Boating Center through donations or volunteerism, call 401.454.7245.
About Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank is a division of RBS Citizens, N.A., operating its seven-state branch network in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. It has 83 branches and 200 ATMs in Rhode Island.
RBS Citizens, N.A., is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $131 billion commercial bank holding company. It is headquartered in Providence, R.I., and, through its subsidiaries, has more than 1,500 branches, approximately 3,900 ATMs and more than 20,000 colleagues. Its two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 12- 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, Michigan and Ohio. CFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in more than 30 states. CFG is owned by RBS (the Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc). CFG's website is citizensbank.com
About NBC 10
WJAR-TV/DT is the most watched television station in the Providence-New Bedford television market, and NBC 10 News is southern New England's leading news station. WJAR was first launched as a radio station in 1922 and then became the market's first television station in 1949. WJAR-TV/DT is owned by Media General, Inc.
About Media General
Media General is a multimedia company operating leading newspapers, television stations and online enterprises primarily in the Southeastern United States. The company's publishing assets include three metropolitan newspapers, The Tampa Tribune, Richmond Times-Dispatch, and Winston-Salem Journal; 22 daily community newspapers in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Alabama and South Carolina; and more than 150 weekly newspapers and other publications. The company's broadcasting assets currently include 30 network-affiliated television stations that reach more than 33 percent of the television households in the Southeast and more than 10 percent of those in the United States. The company's interactive media assets include more than 75 online enterprises that are associated with its newspapers and television stations. Media General also owns a 33 percent interest in SP Newsprint Company, a manufacturer of recycled newsprint.