November 14, 2003

Kennedy Center To Unveil 2004 Calendar During Reception At People's Bank

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. - ''A Unique Perspective'' - the 2004 Kennedy Center calendar - will be unveiled Wednesday, Nov. 19 during a reception in the lobby of People's Bank on Main Street.

The calendar, illustrated by artists from among the Kennedy Center's clients, has been an annual tradition that People's Bank has sponsored for the past 16 years. The Kennedy Center, one of the most comprehensive rehabilitation facilities in Connecticut, provides a wide variety of services for those with mental retardation, psychiatric disabilities, acquired brain injury, deafness, work-related injuries, learning, physical and developmental disabilities.

''The calendar has been a wonderful showcase for The Kennedy Center, demonstrating the diverse range of abilities of people with disabilities as well as the breadth of The Kennedy Center's services,'' said Martin D. Schwartz, president and CEO of the center. ''The support that People's Bank has afforded us over the years is invaluable, and we are deeply appreciative of the role that People's plays in ensuring our continuing outreach.''

The artists who contributed illustrations to this year's calendar are: Lisa Kellersman, Robert Habetz, Jaime Roman, Monica Rodriguez, Patty Dellarocco, Todd Carboni, Debra Jean Willis, Lisa Ellis, Donna Ceccarelli, Bruce Epstein, Marc Iaizzi, Michael Daly and Edward Clark.

''We want to offer people throughout Connecticut the opportunity to appreciate the talents - and perspectives - of the Kennedy Center artists through this calendar,'' said Barbara Johnson, senior vice president, Corporate Community Relations at People's Bank.

The calendar will be available at People's Bank branches throughout the state.

The Kennedy Center was founded in 1951 and has been a driving force in providing advocacy and service to persons with disabilities since its inception. The founders of the Center were instrumental in developing legislation requiring school systems to provide educational services for children with special needs. The Center opened the first home for adults with disabilities in Connecticut licensed by the State Department of Mental Retardation. The Kennedy Center recently received a second consecutive perfect rating by the national standards setting organization CARF, the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. As a result, The Kennedy Center now ranks in the top 1 percent of such rehabilitation facilities in the country and is the only such agency in Connecticut to have ever received a perfect rating.

People's (peoples.com) is a diversified financial services company providing commercial, consumer, insurance and investment services. Founded in 1842, it is the largest state-chartered bank in Connecticut with assets of $12 billion, 154 branches and more than 230 ATMs. People's is a leader in consumer and commercial banking, residential lending, insurance sales, supermarket banking and is the nation's 19th-largest issuer of MasterCard and Visa credit cards. People's subsidiaries offer brokerage services, asset management, equipment financing and leasing, and insurance services.