77,000 employees in 54 countries celebrating the value of water

TORONTO, June 10, 2010—  On Friday, June 11, 2010, RBC will celebrate its first-ever RBC Blue Water Day, to profile the important work being done by more than 200 RBC Blue Water Project (BWP) grant recipients worldwide. Over 77,000 employees in 54 countries will mark the day by wearing blue to raise awareness about the value and vulnerability of water and celebrate with activities planned in branches across Canada and around the world. Some of these activities include:

• Manitoba employees will dress in blue to celebrate some of the 22 regional BWP partners and engage clients with a water stewardship pledge wall of personal commitments along with a contest draw for one of 10 rain barrels. Branches are partnering with local groups and businesses in support of education and awareness on water issues, such as partnering with a drug store to demonstrate how to better dispose of old medications and pills.
  
  
• Minneapolis/St. Paul (Twin Cities), Minnesota employees will attend a session with two-time RBC Blue Water Project grant recipient the Friends of the Mississippi River (FMR), followed by a two-hour water river clean up project with the organization.
  
  
• London, England employees will dress in blue and will announce the opening date for the RBC Rain Garden at the London Wetlands Centre, an RBC Blue Water Project grant recipient.

The RBC Blue Water Project is a 10-year, $50 million philanthropic commitment to supporting organizations that protect watersheds and ensure access to clean drinking water in Canada and abroad. Since 2007, RBC has committed more than $24 million in single and multi-year grants to 285 organizations.

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Media contact:
Jackie Braden,
Sponsorship Communications, (416) 974-1724, Jackie.braden@rbc.com

For more information on the RBC Blue Water Project and the 2010 RBC Blue Water grant recipients, visit www.rbc.com/bluewater