Wachovia Awards Brunswick Resident $25,000 to Say Thank You for Act of Heroism

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Brunswick resident John Lane 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."

"Together with our customers this contest allowed Wachovia to spread the spirit of gratitude, something that we value every day," said Ken Thompson, chairman and CEO of Wachovia Corporation.

ABOUT WACHOVIA'S WHO WOULD YOU THANK? CONTEST

Wachovia's initiation of the contest began through a desire to express gratitude to customers in celebration of National Customer Service Week. The contest, which ran from Sept. 10 through Oct. 5, encouraged consumers to thank a person who has made a significant impact on their life by nominating them for the contest. Wachovia awarded the winners with a cash prize to use as a thank you to their nominee.

Wachovia has been recognized by multiple independent organizations for providing exceptional customer service. Wachovia rated No. 1 among major banks in overall customer satisfaction according to 2006 Consumer Reports; in addition, Wachovia was ranked No. 1 in overall customer satisfaction for two consecutive years in J.D. Power's Home Equity Line/Loan Origination Study. Wachovia also rated No. 1 in customer satisfaction for the sixth consecutive year in the 2006 University of Michigan Business School's American Customer Satisfaction Index.

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.