May 13, 2005

Contact: Gordon Ovenshine --- 724-738-4854, gordon.ovenshine@sru.edu

ING COMMITS $25,000 TO LAUNCH PERFORMING ARTS SERIES AT SRU

           SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. --- Slippery Rock University President Robert M. Smith announced today that ING, the international financial services and retirement planning giant, will sponsor a new performing arts series, saying “it will be a significant addition to the cultural life of the region.”

           ING representatives delivered $25,000 to launch the ING Performing Arts Series at SRU. It will include events for everyone, such as plays, concerts and shows bringing book characters to life for children. University officials expect to announce the schedule soon.

           “Through the generosity of ING, we will be able to provide our students, faculty and staff, along with others in the area, a high-quality series of performances by nationally recognized guest artists,” Smith said. “The ING Performing Arts Series will be a wonderful addition to community life.”

           “ING believes that a good corporate citizen must demonstrate a commitment to the communities in which it does business,” said Michael Linehan, ING regional planner and financial manager based in Connecticut.  “We are very excited about how this partnership for the arts will serve Slippery Rock University and its surrounding communities.”

           ING, a global financial institution of Dutch origin, employs 112,000 people worldwide, including 10,000 in the U.S. It serves more than 60 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. Key U.S. sites include Hartford, West Chester, Pa., Atlanta, Minneapolis, New York, Denver and Des Moines.
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