Washington Trust To Sponsor Blood Drive At North Kingstown Branch

August 14, 2008 (Westerly, Rhode Island). . .On Friday, August 22, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., The Washington Trust Company and the Rhode Island Blood Center will hold a blood drive, in the Donor Coach, outside the Bank's North Kingstown Branch at 7625 Post Road, North Kingstown. The blood drive is open to the public and no appointment is necessary.

Donors are encouraged to bring a buddy with them to donate blood during the month of August. Both the donor and their buddy will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a pair of tickets to see the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Bruins or Boston Celtics.

Each day hospitals in Rhode Island need 240 to 280 pints of blood to meet the needs of their patients, according to the Rhode Island Blood Center. Those who may benefit from your blood donation may be a child with leukemia, an accident victim, or someone needing an organ transplant. The Rhode Island Blood Center reports all blood types are needed especially type O.

The Washington Trust Company is a subsidiary of Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc., a $2.7 billion corporation headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island. Founded in 1800, Washington Trust is the oldest community bank in the nation and is the largest independent bank 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.Corporation's common stock trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol WASH. Web site address: www.washtrust.com.