FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Elizabeth Eckel, SVP Marketing, 401-348-1309
DATE: May 23, 2005

Washington Trust Honored for Tsunami Relief Support

Westerly, Rhode Island... As part of National Teach Children to Save Day, 16 Washington Trust employees recently started kids on the path to a positive financial future by spending part of their workday in classrooms. They taught students in kindergarten through 6th grade about the importance of saving money, budgeting, the difference between needs and wants, why it's important to save for emergencies and how interest makes money grow. The employees visited nine elementary schools and made presentations to 21 classrooms with approximately 500 students in Rhode Island and Southeastern Connecticut.

National Teach Children to Save Day, founded by the American Bankers Association to help children gain a better understanding of the ABCs of financial matters, takes place on a day in April when bankers across the country make presentation at schools in their communities. This is the third year that Washington Trust participated in the program in fulfillment of its pledge to be an America's Promise Bank of Promise.

"Washington Trust participates in National Teach Children to Save Day because we are committed to teaching children about the value of money and the importance of saving at an early age. If we provide children with skills for saving now we can help them become smart investors and money managers in the future," said Elizabeth B. Eckel, senior vice president, marketing." It's a natural fit for us to visit classrooms to teach students how their money can grow."

The Teach Children to Save program is not only educational, but also fun for the children. Activities, games and stories were used to teach them about saving money so they'll have it in the future when they need it.

The lessons used for kindergarten through 2nd grade included a "Trip to the County Fair" for which the students had to decide what to spend $10 on (from choices such as popcorn, candy and balloons). They also learned to recognize coins by playing "Money Bingo," received a "Saving Money is Cool" coloring book and heard the story of "Lucky the Golden Goose," read aloud by the Washington Trust "teacher."

The lessons for the 3rd through 6th graders included "Design Your Own Money," figuring out how much money they would need to earn and what to spend it on during a trip to an amusement center; learning the history of Washington Trust and how it was the first bank to print currency with George Washington on it; and discussing how Washington Trust's original banknotes differ from today's money. Each student also received a set of two U.S. Minted State Quarters.

The presentations, which took place from April 26 through May 5, were made at the following schools:

• Stoney Lane Elementary in North Kingstown, R.I.
• Walawoam Elementary in Exeter, R.I.
• Ashaway Elementary in Hopkinton, R.I.
• Dunn's Corners Elementary in Westerly, R.I.
• West Vine Street Elementary in Pawcatuck, Conn.
• State Street School in Westerly, R.I.
• Tower Street School in Westerly, R.I.
• St. Pius School in Westerly, R.I.
• Robertson Elementary in Warwick, R.I.

The Washington Trust employees that made presentations are:

• Amy Arruda, of Pawtcatuck, Conn, vice president and market manager, Olde Mistick Village branch
• Connie Birkbeck, of Westerly, R.I., senior credit collector
• Stephanie Blanchette, of Westerly, R.I., assistant vice president and trust administration officer
• Rachel Chudy, of Charlestown, R.I., senior customer service representative
• Kris Cornwall, of Kingston, R.I., customer service representative
• Elizabeth B. Eckel, of Westerly, R.I., senior vice president, marketing
• Deb Grandolfi, of Wakefield, R.I., head teller
• Diane Huber, of Exeter, R.I., assistant branch manager, Richmond Branch
• Jill Kass, of Pawcatuck, Conn., assistant vice president and branch manger, Franklin Street branch
• Scott Lajoie, of Warwick, R.I., vice president, commercial lending
• Ted Lake, of Hope, R.I., vice president, business services
• Rogean Makowski, of Wood River Junction, R.I., senior vice president and trust officer
• Larine Risica, of Westerly, R.I., servicing specialist
• Debra Turrisi, of Pawtucket, Conn., assistant vice president and branch manager, main office
• Sharon Walsh, of Exeter, R.I., vice president, marketing
• Brooke Zysk, of West Warwick, R.I., merchant sales rep

For more tips and ideas about saving and information on National Teach Children to Save Day for parents and teachers, visit the American Bankers Association Web site at www.aba.com.

Larine Risica, (front row, second from right) of Westerly, R.I., servicing specialist for Washington Trust, taught these fourth grade students at Ashaway Elementary School all about money and the importance of saving.

The Washington Trust Company is the largest independent bank headquartered in Rhode Island. A state-chartered bank, Washington Trust offers a full range of financial services, including trust and investment management, through its 16 branch offices located in Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut. Founded in 1800, the Bank is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., whose common stock trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market® under the symbol WASH. Web site address: www.washtrust.com.