BUFFALO, N.Y., July 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Niagara Bank, N.A. today announced its continued commitment to the community through the sponsorship of the Parks & Trails New York 2012 Cycling the Erie Canal bike tour. The bike tour, which covers 400 miles of the Erie Canalway Trail from Buffalo to Albany, features more than 500 riders from 36 states and four countries.
"We are delighted to be the official bank sponsor for the Parks & Trails New York 2012 Cycling the Erie Canal bicycle tour," said Elizabeth Gurney, First Niagara Foundation Director. "This is a wonderful event traveling through our upstate New York communities; we are very excited to take part in this dynamic and energizing event."
As the official bank sponsor of the event, First Niagara has enlisted Florine Luhr, foundation administrator at the First Niagara Bank Foundation, to participate in the bike tour as a cyclist ambassador. She will chronicle her journey through photos, updates and an interactive map that will allow visitors to the Cycling Diary tab on the We Love Upstate NY Facebook page to track her progress.
"We truly appreciate First Niagara's commitment to the bike tour," said Robin Dropkin, executive director at Parks & Trails New York. "They continue to go above and beyond to support our efforts by participating in the event, sending out volunteers to cheer riders on and creating an ambassador to chronicle the ride and share her experience with others."
About First Niagara
First Niagara, through its wholly owned subsidiary, First Niagara Bank, N.A., is a multi-state community-oriented bank with nearly 430 branches, approximately $35 billion in assets, $28 billion in deposits, and approximately 6,000 employees providing financial services to individuals, families and businesses across Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts. For more information, visit www.firstniagara.com.
CONTACT: Media Contact:
Helen Tederous
Corporate Communications
(716) 819-5922
helen.tederous@firstniagara.com