RTA News

From Charter One Bank

June 1, 2006

Charter One Bank to provide free RTA rides and $100,000 in cash prizes in Free Money Free-For-All

CLEVELAND � Charter One Bank today announced free rides for morning commuters on RTA on June 7 to launch its new Free Money Free-For-All contest. The two-week, �no-strings attached� giveaway involves the distribution of more than 500,000 Free Money Free-For-All game cards with prizes totaling $100,000 in cash.

On Wednesday, June 7 from 3 a.m. to 10 a.m., Charter One will kick off the contest with a free morning ride on RTA buses and trains. The Bank will pick up the tab for approximately 80,000 commuters boarding any RTA bus or train in Cuyahoga County.

�After surprising the community by giving away free gasoline last year, we hope to make another cost of daily life momentarily disappear -- this time, the cost of commuting onboard RTA,� said Ned Handy, President and CEO of Charter One Bank, Ohio.

The Free Money Free-For-All game cards will be distributed the morning of June 7 to RTA commuters and at a variety of venues across Greater Cleveland through June 18. Individuals can also find a game card in the June 16 edition of the Plain Dealer or download a game card online at www.charteronecleveland.com until June 18. Game cards are not available in the bank branches.

Every game card is a winner, with prizes ranging from two free song downloads to gift cards in the amounts of $25, $50, $100, $250 and $500. One lucky winner will win $10,000 in cash. Cash prizes alone total more than $100,000. All game cards must be redeemed at participating branches by June 30.

Joe Calabrese, Chief Executive Officer of The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, said: �Charter One�s generosity will help ease the cost of traveling to work today � the free ride onboard RTA is sure to bring smiles to the faces of thousands of commuters.�

�The campaign is just another way for us to demonstrate our excitement about continuing to do business in northeast Ohio in a 'not-so-typical' fashion,� said Handy.

For a complete list of distribution dates and locations and participating Charter One branches, please visit www.charteronecleveland.com. No game cards will be available for distribution in Charter One branches. Game cards are only available until June 18 or while supplies last. Winners must be 16 years of age or older and employees and immediate family are not eligible.

About Charter One Bank, N.A.
Charter One Bank, N.A., is a $41 billion bank operating in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. It has 480 branches and more than 800 ATMs. It has 166 branches and 210 ATMs in Ohio. Charter One is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $155 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. Citizens has more than 1,600 branches, approximately 3,700 ATMs and more than 26,000 employees in a 13-state retail branch network and has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 states. Citizens is the eighth-largest commercial banking company in the United States ranked by deposits as of September 30, 2005. Citizens is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).The Charter One Web site is charterone.com.

FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY:

Carrie Carpenter,
Vice President, Director of Public Affairs
Charter One Bank, Ohio
1215 Superior Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
Ph: 216-277-0868
Fax: 216-277-1465