Citizens Financial : Phoenix Multisport named Champion in Action in the Addiction Prevention & Treatment Services category

01/24/2017

Citizens Bank and necnprovide $35,000 funding and promotional support

BOSTON - Phoenix Multisport has been named a 2017 Champion in Action® in the category of addiction prevention & treatment services. The award, announced jointly by Citizens Bank and necn, includes$35,000 in unrestricted funding and promotional and volunteer support for the organization's outstanding work.

Phoenix Multisport fosters a supportive, physically active community for individuals recovering from a substance use disorder and anyone choosing to live sober. Members of Phoenix Multisport participate in activities like CrossFit, yoga, running and strength training to help develop and maintain the emotional strength they need to stay sober. Phoenix Multisport's goal is to expand people's sober community of support while creating a safe environment. The only requirement to attend programs is at least 48 hours of continuous sobriety and all events are led by instructors who are in recovery themselves.

'As the opioid epidemic continues to spread havoc across Massachusetts and affect thousands of individuals and families, it's critical for our entire community to offer support,' said Jerry Sargent, president, Citizens Bank, Massachusetts. 'Phoenix Multisport has made tremendous progress assisting those recovering from addiction through their community-based approach, and we hope that this Champions award will allow Phoenix to expand their services to even more individuals in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth who are battling addiction.'

'We are grateful to Citizens and necn for their partnership and generous support of our mission,' said Scott Strode, Phoenix Multisport founder and executive director. 'The Champions in Action award is an endorsement of our work and will help support individuals seeking to find or maintain a path to long-term recovery. Together we can begin to heal our communities and make a place of hope.'

'necnis proud to have teamed up with Citizens Bank to present this Champion in Action recognition to the innovative addiction prevention non-profit, Phoenix Multisport,' said Mike St. Peter, senior vice president and general manager of necn. 'It is a privilege to lend our support to a forward-thinking organization that provides an alternative and safe way to sobriety for those who are recovering from addiction.'

Champions in Action is part of Citizens Helping Citizens Strengthen Communities, the bank's program designed to enhance quality of life and economic vitality in local communities. It provides support for small nonprofit organizations to recognize their contributions to communities throughout Massachusetts.

To date, the Champions in Action program has awarded 312 nonprofits more than $9.6 million in grants and promotional support.

As a Champion in Action, Phoenix Multisport will receive:

• A $35,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from Citizens Bank;
• Be featured on necn through a series of public service announcements and television profiles that will air over the course of six months;
• Volunteer support from Citizens Bank;
• The opportunity for the organization's executive director to participate in a 'Executive-to-Executive' mentorship with a Citizens Bank executive;
• Complimentary membership to the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network;
• Public relations support;
• Promotional support highlighting the Champion in Action in Citizens Bank branches;
• Exposure on the Citizens Bank and necn websites.

For more information about the Citizens Bank and necn Champions in Action program, visitwww.citizensbank.com/community/champions.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation's oldest and largest financial institutions, with $149.5 billion in assets as of December 31, 2016. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens helps its retail customers 'bank better' with mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,200 ATMs and approximately 1,200 Citizens Bank branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Citizens also provides wealth management, mortgage lending, auto lending, student lending and commercial banking services in select markets nationwide. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers corporate, institutional and not-for-profit clients a full range of wholesale banking products and services including lending and deposits, capital markets, treasury services, foreign exchange and interest hedging, leasing and asset finance, specialty finance and trade finance.

Citizens operates through its subsidiaries Citizens Bank, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania as Citizens Bank, Citizens Commercial Banking and Citizens One. Additional information about Citizens and its full line of products and services can be found atwww.citizensbank.com.

About necn Owned by NBCUniversal, necn is the largest 24-hour regional news network in the U.S. Since its launch on March 2, 1992, necn has grown to include 3.6 million subscribers in more than 1,050 cities and towns throughout all six New England states. necn has established itself as an industry leader and as the only regional news network of its kind to earn a George Foster Peabody Award and the Alfred I. duPont - Columbia University Broadcast Journalism Award, among many other accolades.