Winner Says 'Thanks' to Brunswick Man Who Pulled Raleigh Couple from
Burning Car; Runner-Up Chooses to Thank Personal Mentor
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- John Lane of Georgia
saved Gary and Sally Puckett, a North Carolina couple, from a deadly
accident in an act of true heroism. Now that Lane needs help to pay medical
bills, the couple has the chance to say "thanks" with a $25,000 cash award
courtesy of Wachovia and Raleigh, N.C., customer Jennifer Walken.
Walken -- Sally Puckett's sister and a Wachovia customer for 24 years
-- is the grand prize winner in Wachovia's Who Would You Thank? Contest
(contest details below) conducted as part of 2007 National Customer Service
Week. She is among 38 winners who received prizes ranging from $250 to
$25,000.
Two years ago, the Pucketts were trapped inside their burning vehicle
on Interstate 95 after a collision with a speeding tractor-trailer.
Passerby John Lane from Brunswick, Ga., immediately reacted. Running from
his car through gas flames, he pulled the two from the car just seconds
before it exploded. The three emerged from the fiery wreckage unscathed.
"My sister's seatbelt was jammed," said Walken. "John saw the car with
people in it, stopped, raced through gas flames on the highway, pulled them
out by God's grace and saved them. He, as a stranger, endangered his own
life and literally saved the life of my sister and her husband with only a
moment to spare."
"Gratitude is an important part of Wachovia's culture," said Jack
Clayton, Wachovia's Regional President for Raleigh. "Through our Who Would
You Thank? contest, we are thrilled to be able to help Jennifer and her
family thank John Lane, who risked his life to save complete strangers."
"Together with our customers, this contest allows Wachovia to spread
the spirit of gratitude, something we value every day," said Ken Thompson,
chairman and CEO of Wachovia Corporation.
WACHOVIA AWARDS $10,000 TO INFLUENTIAL MENTOR
Laurietta Faulkner of South Boston, Va., a runner-up and recipient of a
$10,000 cash prize, shared a heartwarming story focused on her mentor,
Joyce Houser of Fort Wayne, Ind. As an underprivileged 12-year-old,
Faulkner said she had no confidence and little hope for the future until
Houser, then a student teacher, stepped into her life. Through her,
Faulkner said she gained a sense of self-worth and learned that her
challenging childhood did not have to define her life.
ABOUT WACHOVIA'S WHO WOULD YOU THANK? CONTEST
The contest was the marquee event in Wachovia's 2007 observance of
National Customer Service Week, a national event proclaimed by Congress in
1992. It was designed to help customers say thank you to someone special in
their lives. The contest, which ran Sept. 10-Oct. 5, was open to customers
and non-customers. Entries could be obtained by visiting one of Wachovia's
financial centers or http://www.wachovia.com. The entries were collected
and judged by an independent third party. The winners were awarded with a
cash prize to use in thanking their nominee.
ABOUT WACHOVIA CORPORATION
Wachovia Corporation (NYSE: WB) is one of the nation's largest
diversified financial services companies, with assets of $754.2 billion and
market capitalization of $95.3 billion at September 30, 2007. Wachovia
provides a broad range of retail banking and brokerage, asset and wealth
management, and corporate and investment banking products and services to
13 million household and business customers. Wachovia has 3,400 retail
financial centers in 21 states from Connecticut to Florida and west to
Texas and California, and nationwide retail brokerage, mortgage lending and
auto finance businesses. Globally, clients are served in selected corporate
and institutional sectors and through more than 40 international offices.
Our retail brokerage operations under the Wachovia Securities brand name
manage more than $800 billion in client assets through 11,400 registered
representatives in 786 offices nationwide. The acquisition of A.G. Edwards,
Inc., following the end of the third quarter, added approximately 740
offices, 6,300 financial consultants and $384 billion in brokerage client
assets. Online banking is available at http://www.wachovia.com; online
brokerage products and services at http://www.wachoviasec.com; and
investment products and services at http://www.evergreeninvestments.com.
SOURCE Wachovia Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.wachovia.com
http://www.wachoviasec.com
http://www.evergreeninvestments.com
CONTACT:
Kathleen Von Bergen, +1-704-383-0468, or
David White, +1-336-774-9220, both of Wachovia Corporation
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