Annick, Farrar Houel & RBS National Bank
to Receive United Way Awards

BRIDGEPORT, CT - (March 23, 2007) United Way of Eastern Fairfield County will present its prestigious Norman Leeds Award and Spirit of Caring Awards during the annual Celebration of Community Builders at the Trumbull Marriott on Thursday, May 3, 2007. The annual meeting and reception will begin at 5:30 pm. The presentation of awards and dinner will begin promptly at 6:15 pm. M. Jodi Rell, governor of CT, has been invited to address the group.

Each year, United Way of Eastern Fairfield County staff bestows the Norman Leeds award on a volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to the Community Campaign. This year, Trumbull resident John W. Annick is being honored with the award for his steadfast work on behalf of United Way of Eastern Fairfield County and the greater Bridgeport region. Throughout the years, Annick, a former employee of and consultant for GE, has helped raise nearly $2 million dollars to further United Way’s Community Impact work.

An active participant in the community, Annick serves on the Board of Directors of several organizations including Junior Achievement and the Trumbull Chamber of Commerce. Eleven years ago, he spearheaded, and now co-chairs, the Town of Trumbull’s Business/Education Initiative, which brings together community leaders, educators and business partners to help Trumbull students learn about the workplace through career exploration activities. Annick is a member of the Bridgeport Rotary Club, having served as its President and as a Governor of District 7980. He was also a member of the Diocese of Bridgeport’s Task Force on Aging.

Two Spirit of Caring Awards will be presented at the Celebration of Community Builders, which is being sponsored by AltruShare Securities and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation. Each year, United Way Board members submit names of nominees, who need not be directly involved with United Way to be considered for the award; the Board of Directors then selects an individual and an organization to recognize for outstanding volunteerism and support to the greater Bridgeport community. United Way Board Chair Ronald J. Bianchi of St. Vincent’s Medical Center announced this year’s honorees, Adrienne Farrar Houel and RBS National Bank, commending them for “their outstanding leadership and their efforts in improving our community and the lives of the people within it.”

Adrienne Farrar Houel has been selected for this year’s Spirit of Caring Award for her diligent and dynamic participation with numerous nonprofit organizations and her advocacy for all residents but especially our youth. Instrumental in the November 2005 Community Conversation to close the educational achievement gap, she was the lead moderator of this event, which served as the launching point for United Way’s Operation Graduation. Ms. Houel is the chair of the Operation Graduation, an initiative to ensure students graduate from high school ready for college. As Operation Graduation chairperson, she was involved in planning and implementing the May 2006 Education Summit, which brought together 500 area residents in an effort to lay the groundwork for novel, effective, widespread action on behalf of the schools and the entire community.

RBS National Bank will receive the Spirit of Caring Award for its efforts in ending homelessness and its ongoing support of United Way’s Community Impact agenda. Through its assistance in funding the development and implementation of The Greater Bridgeport Area Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, RBS helped provide both access to safe, decent affordable housing and also needed support services to prevent the problem from reoccurring. RBS’s philanthropy extended beyond its work on behalf of the homeless. This year, RBS employees collected and donated several hundred pounds of non-perishable food items as well as shampoo, health & beauty aides, laundry detergent, baby wipes and soap to local food pantries and others in need. RBS President and CEO Joseph A. Hoffman will accept the award.

The annual Celebration of Community Builders provides an opportunity to honor outstanding volunteers who help make Eastern Fairfield County a better place in which to live, work, and raise our families. United Way President and CEO Merle Berke-Schlessel, Esq., released the names of the 2006 Community Builder Award honorees: Bridgeport residents Tammy Boyle, Success By 6® Award; Mary C. Green, Supporting A Caring Community Award; Carolyn Vermont, Diversity Award; Bridgeport Alliance for Young Children, Group Synergy Award; Southbury resident Kathy Saint, Operation Graduation Award; Manchester resident Anne Carr, Destination Home Award; and Westport Resident Lynn Abramson, Regional Leadership Award.

United Way Senior Vice President of Resource Development Cathy Greco announced the Campaign Award winners. Aquarion Water Company, GE, People’s Bank, RBS National Bank and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation will be honored with Chairman’s Circle Exceptional Achievement Awards. Blum Shapiro; Friedberg, Smith Company; Rotair Industries, Inc.; and Santa Holding Company will be presented Impact Circle Awards. R.C. Bigelow, Inc. will receive the Community Partner Award, and Town of Trumbull Economic Development Director Deborah Evans Cox will receive the Ambassador Award.

The public is invited to the event. Tickets, which include dinner, cost $25.00. Those interested in attending the Celebration of Community Builders can register at www.thewaytocare.org. by clicking on Event Registration. All reservations and fees must be received by April 18.

United Way of Eastern Fairfield County’s mission is to mobilize a stronger, more caring community across Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull. Our focus is on what matters . We are bringing people together from all across the community – people from government, business, faith groups, nonprofits, and ordinary citizens – to tackle the issues that matter most. United Way is committed to the bottom line results: the lives we change and the communities we shape. Find out more at www.thewaytocare.org.