For Immediate Release
03/17/2008 8:00am
Mitch Massey
805.369.5281
mmassey@heritageoaksbank.com www.thelamfoundation.org

Paso Robles, CA – February 8, 2008-- Heritage Oaks Bank teamed up with the local community to help save a life. Kristen Wells has a rare lung disease called Lymphangioleiomyoatosis (LAM) and needs a double lung transplant. At a walk-a-thon held at Avila Beach, CA on February 8, 2008. Starting at 9am at the Children’s Park, members of the community and employees of Heritage Oaks Bank helped raise $3,000.00 to help offset some of the costs for Kristen’s surgery and other expenses relating to her illness.

The walk-a-thon was started by Kristin’s mother Theresa Rush. Ms. Rush asked her sorority sister Sharon Herman, an employee of Heritage Oaks Bank, to help motivate members of the community to raise money for Kristin’s life saving procedure. Heritage Oaks Bank employees were more than happy to help a community member in need. "Heritage Oaks Bank prides itself on the active role we can play to make a genuine personal connection to support individuals in our community like Kristen Wells" says Mitch Massey, Senior Vice President/Marketing, Heritage Oaks Bank.

This rare lung disease, which only affects women of child bearing age, requires Kristin to be connected to an oxygen tank 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. There is no cure for the disease and her only hope for having a normal life, is a double lung transplant. Dr. Roland Nador is a pulmonologist at Stanford University Hospital and is working with the transplant team. Kristin is currently on the waiting list at Stanford University. Donations were made to the National Transplant Assistance Fund (NATF), the group that will administer the funds for Kristin’s expenses. If you would like more information on LAM or would like to make a donation, please visit www.thelamfoudation.org.

This year Heritage Oaks Bank is celebrating a quarter century of dedicated service to the people and communities of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. We now have 15 convenient branch locations, including our newest location in San Miguel. We also welcome Business First into our banking family. Their two offices in downtown Santa Barbara operate as a division of Heritage Oaks Bank. Let us show you why it’s time to Expect More.

Heritage Oaks Bank is the largest publically owned community bank on the Central Coast and is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and Equal Housing Lender.