FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Charlene P. Davenport, Public Relations Officer, 401-348-1363
DATE: May 8, 2008

Mary McGoldrick, senior vice president and chief investment officer, Washington Trust, teaches students at Westerly Middle School the importance of saving money.

Washington Trust Teaches Students to Save Money

May 8, 2008 (Westerly, Rhode Island). . .As part of the American Bankers Association’s “Teach Children to Save” day, 30 employees of The Washington Trust Company visited local elementary and middle schools. They taught the students the importance of saving money, and explained the differences between needs and wants. The employees visited 18 elementary and middle schools and made presentations to 38 classrooms with approximately 1200 students. Schools included: Chariho Middle, Dunn's Corners Early Learning Center, Maisie E. Quinn Elementary, Matunuck Elementary, Metcalf Elementary, Narragansett Elementary, Richmond Elementary, Springbrook Elementary, State Street Elementary, Stone Hill Elementary, Tower Street Elementary, Wakefield Elementary, Wawaloam Elementary, and Westerly Middle in Rhode Island and St. Michael’s, West Broad Street Elementary, and West Vine Elementary in Connecticut.

“Teach Children to Save” day, founded by the American Bankers Association, is a financial literacy program presented by bankers across the country as part of a nationwide effort to help children understand the basic concepts of how and why it is important to save money.

“The ‘Teach Children to Save’ day program is a wonderful opportunity for Washington Trust bankers to visit classrooms to teach students the importance of saving,” said Elizabeth B. Eckel, senior vice president of marketing for Washington Trust. “In today’s challenging economy, it is more important than ever that consumers, including children, understand and practice wise saving habits.”

The Washington Trust Company is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a $2.5 billion corporation headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island. Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is the largest independent bank and the oldest community bank in the nation, headquartered in Rhode Island. A state-chartered bank, Washington Trust offers a full range of financial services, including business banking, personal banking, and wealth management and trust services, through its offices located in Rhode Island, southeastern Connecticut and Massachusetts. The Corporation’s common stock trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol WASH. Web site address: www.washtrust.com.