10/17/2012
Citizens Bank partners with Pittsburgh Public Schools for 12th annual “Expressions of Freedom” writing contest
Writing contest honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Deadline for essay submissions is December 3, 2012
PITTSBURGH (October 17, 2012) – To honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and commemorate Black History Month, Citizens Bank and media partners, New Pittsburgh Courier, KISS and WPXI-TV today announced that essays are now being accepted for the 12th annual “Expressions of Freedom” writing contest. The contest is open to Pittsburgh Public School students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through twelfth. Citizens Bank created the essay contest to honor Dr. King’s efforts to promote peaceful interaction among people of different backgrounds at a time when racial inequality was widespread across the United States.
Participants are asked to write an essay describing how one of Dr. King’s character traits inspires them and how they apply it to their daily lives. A panel of local judges will review the entries and the winning students will receive a gift card from Citizens Bank and a portion of their essay will be broadcast on KISS or WPXI-TV throughout February next year in honor of Black History Month. A certificate of achievement will also be presented to the students at an award ceremony in January 2013
“Dr. King dedicated his life to freedom of expression for all people and this writing contest is a creative way to engage young people in celebrating his accomplishments and honoring his legacy,” said Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, President and CEO of Citizens Bank and RBS Citizens for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. “Hundreds of students have participated in the contest over the years and their thoughtfulness in describing how Dr. King’s strong character and moral compass has inspired them is a testament to the impact his life has had on future generations. We look forward to reading this year’s entries.”
Entries must be submitted by a Pittsburgh Public Schools teacher and include the student’s name, home address, grade, teacher’s name and school name. They must be postmarked no later than December 3, 2012 and sent to Citizens Bank Writing Contest, 525 William Penn Place, Suite 2840, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.
About Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania
Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania is a state-chartered bank with dual headquarters in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It has 379 branches and 1,025 ATMs throughout Pennsylvania. It also operates 12 retail branches and 104 ATMs in southern New Jersey, and a commercial loan office and 17 ATMs in Virginia. It is a subsidiary of RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $129 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I.
RBS Citizens Financial Group, through its subsidiaries, has more than 1,400 branches, approximately 3,700 ATMs and approximately 18,940 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. RBSCFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in more than 30 states. RBSCFG is owned by RBS (the Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc). RBSCFG’s website is citizensbank.com.
