Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2001

Contact: Mark A. Weiss
Phone: 770.998.4769, Pager: 770.501.1121
e-mail:maweiss@rencomm.com

(Alpharetta, GA) North Atlanta National Bank and the Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of the American Red Cross recently announced that the two organizations would be conducting a blood drive at the Alpharetta bank on Friday, September 7^th between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. The drive will take place at the bank, located at the corner of Mansell Road and the Old Alabama Road Connector (10500 Old Alabama Road Connector).

According to American Red Cross, the Georgia and northern Florida region needs 320,000 pints of blood a year. Only 255,559 pints have been collected in the region this year leaving a deficit of 64, 000 pints. Blood is often imported from other regions in the country to make up the difference. Volunteer blood donations help patients being treated for accidents, routine surgeries and serious diseases such as leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers, heart disease, sickle cell anemia and hemophilia. Despite the fact that giving blood is easy, safe and takes less than one hour, only 5 percent of eligible Americans donate blood.

Ms. Ashley Walker, a Banking Officer with North Atlanta National Bank and the bank's blood drive coordinator, stated that the bank timed the blood drive to coincide with the end of summer. "Labor Day weekend has traditionally marked the unofficial end of summer. Most people will have returned from their summer vacations and are back at work after the holiday. Because our bank is centrally located, we believe that we can draw donors from the local neighborhoods, the surrounding office buildings and our clients."

Anyone wishing to donate blood should call Ms. Walker at 678-277-8412 to schedule an appointment between the hours of 8:00 am and 1:00pm on the 7th. To donate blood, one must be healthy, at least 17 years old and weigh 110 pounds or more.

Ms. Walker said, "As a community bank, we felt that it was our obligation to support the Red Cross by asking our customers and the surrounding community to roll up their sleeves and give the gift of life. The employees at North Atlanta National Bank are always looking for ways to support the bank's creed of Service, Soundness and Community". Working with the Red Cross is one of the ways we work to support our community."

For more than 50 years, the American Red Cross has been the primary supplier of lifesaving blood and blood products in the United States. The Red Cross collects blood voluntarily donated by approximately 4.5 million donors, annually providing more than 6 million units of blood for patients nationwide.

North Atlanta National Bank is a community bank serving small businesses and individuals in the North Fulton market. It opened for business in November 1998 and is headquartered on the Old Alabama Road Connector in Alpharetta. Please visit the bank's web site at www.nanb.com for more information.