Chicago Lakefront Pavilion Gets New Name, Corporate Sponsorship; Venue Designated as Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island

CHICAGO, June 22 -- The “venue with a view” received a new name today, thanks to a gracious $2.5 million contribution from Charter One Bank. Effective immediately, the previously designated Lakefront Pavilion will now be called the Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island as part of the 5-year agreement.

Nestled between Lake Michigan and the magnificent Chicago skyline, summer concerts will never be the same after spending a night out at the Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island. Beginning on June 24 and lasting through September 2, the Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island will feature live music on select dates from a variety of performers ranging from the classic Earth, Wind & Fire to indie rock trio Modest Mouse - at the ideal outdoor concert setting.

“Chicago plays host to a wide array of arts, cultural and music festivals throughout the summer,” said Paul Greig, president & CEO of Charter One Bank, Ill. “We believe that the Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island will quickly become one of the city’s most popular music destinations, and we’re proud to be associated with it.”

The Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island has a capacity of 8,000 and events are open to all ages. The general public will have its first opportunity to enjoy a live show on the lakefront when the summer concert series kicks off this Friday, June 24 as hometown favorites Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire steal the stage for two nights in a row.

“We are pleased to welcome Charter One as the naming sponsor of the Lakefront Pavilion,” said Chicago Park District CEO Timothy Mitchell. “In addition, Charter One’s contribution will help fund the development of Northerly Island into a world-class, nature park.”

Since arriving in Chicago, Charter One has been active in integrating the fabric of the city in a variety of ways. On Valentine’s Day, Charter One surprised Chicago commuters with its “One Sweet Ride” promotion by giving away 200,000 one-ride CTA farecards. As a sponsor of the Chicago Cubs, Charter One recently launched the “Not Your Typical Fan” promotion, which recognizes one enthusiastic fan at each of the 81 home games scheduled for the 2005 season.

Earlier this year, Charter One had the pleasure of pouring green dye into the Chicago River to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day after bidding on the privilege during the Great Chicago Fire Sale on eBay. Proceeds from the sale funded various Chicago cultural programs.

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About Charter One Bank, N.A.

Charter One Bank, N.A., is a $36 billion bank operating in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. It has more than 490 branches and 830 ATMs. Charter One is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $137 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I. Citizens has more than 1,600 branches, approximately 3,100 ATMs and approximately 26,000 employees in a 13-state retail branch network and non-branch offices in more than 30 states. Citizens is the eighth largest commercial banking company in the United States ranked by deposits. Citizens is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).The Charter One Web site is charterone.com.

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Christine Noel

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Charter One Bank

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