Eastern Bank chairman leads 17th Annual Walk for HAWC

SALEM – Richard E. Holbrook, chairman and chief executive officer of Eastern Bank, will serve as the honorary chairman for the 17th Annual Walk for HAWC on Sunday, April 26, 2009.The event is the largest fundraiser for Help for Abused Women and their Children (HAWC), which provides emergency shelter and counseling services to victims of domestic violence.The walk will take place rain or shine, starting and ending at Old Town Hall in Salem. The five-mile route wends through historic Salem and helps raise funds and awareness for HAWC and the services it provides. Registration and festivities begin at 11 a.m.. More than 1,000 participants are expected to attend. The walk will feature live music, activities for children, dance performances, vocals, and food courtesty of :Kelly’s Roast Beef.Holbrook has served as chairman, CEO and president of Eastern Bank Corp., the holding company for the largest independent, mutually owned commercial banking franchise in New England. He joined the bank in 1996 as chief financial officer and executive vice president. He was named president and chief operating officer of the bank and the holding company in 2001. His prior experience included that of a director and CFO of a small biotechnology firm, and more than 20 years of banking experience as a commercial lender, trust officer, and planning and financial manager.”The annual Walk for HAWC is our largest fundraiser and it helps us to support crucial services for families impacted by domestic abuse,” said Candace Waldron, executive director for HAWC. “It is also our largest public awareness event and that is why we are especially grateful this year for the leadership and support that Rich Holbrook and Eastern Bank have shown us in working together to advance our mission to end domestic violence in our communities.”HAWC provides free, comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, and their children, in 23 cities and towns across the North Shore. Services include: a 24-hour hotline, emergency shelter, children’s services, advocacy in courts, police departments and health care settings, educational and support groups, counseling, and education in schools and the community.”Eastern Bank upholds a strong commitment to contribute in a meaningful way to worthy non profit organizations,” said Holbrook. “It is important that we continue to volunteer our time and lend our leadership skills to organizations like HAWC that provide such important social services to our communities.”