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Funds to Support Central Park Playground Construction,
Ohlone College Green Campus and Healthcare Facility Expansion

FREMONT, California (October 23, 2007) - Fremont Bank Foundation, the charitable arm of Fremont Bank (www.fremontbank.com), recently granted large contributions to three East Bay community organizations: $100,000 to Kristi Yamaguchi's Always Dream Foundation for the construction of a new playground in Fremont, Calif.; $250,000 to Ohlone College Foundation for the building of a new green campus in Newark, Calif.; and $100,000 to ValleyCare Foundation for the emergency room expansion project at its Pleasanton, Calif., facility.

Always Dream Foundation - $100,000
The Always Dream grant will be used to construct a playground for children of all abilities in Fremont’s Central Park on land set aside by the City of Fremont. Structures and activities within the playground will be designed to accommodate the special needs of children facing the challenges of a physical, developmental or sensory disability. Construction of the playground is scheduled to begin this fall and completion is set for the fourth quarter of 2008.

“We are proud to support this project as a corporate partner to Always Dream,” says Mike Wallace, vice chairman of Fremont Bank. “Our joint vision with the City of Fremont and Always Dream is to transform the Central Park into the most healthy, safe and inclusive environment for the youth and families of the Fremont community.”

“We are deeply grateful to Fremont Bank Foundation for its remarkable generosity,” says Jim Adler, chief operating officer of the Always Dream Foundation. “This is the first private contribution we’ve received for this playground and, when combined with the funds Always Dream has put towards the project, puts us more than half way toward our goal of raising $600,000 for the park.”

Fremont Bank’s commitment to the Central Park recreation area is long standing. The bank’s late founder, Morris Hyman, was formerly chairman of the City of Fremont Parks and Recreation Commission and last June the Fremont Bank Foundation granted $1 million toward reconstruction of the Central Park swim lagoon, which is being converted into a modern water play facility.

Ohlone College Foundation - $250,000
The Fremont Bank Foundation grant will bolster Ohlone College’s $10 million capital campaign for furnishings and equipment for the college’s new Center for Health Sciences and Technology in Newark. The new campus will be the first “green” community college campus in the nation.

“As the foundation of a community bank, it is our privilege to support programs that educate members of our community. Ohlone College has a long, creditable history serving the tri-cities of Fremont, Newark and Union City,” says Hattie Hyman Hughes, president of Fremont Bank Foundation. “We’re proud to be the lead corporate sponsor in support of this new facility, which represents the next-generation of community college campuses.”

Ohlone College President Dr. Doug Treadway says that the Fremont Bank Foundation Grant not only infuses significant additional capital into the campaign, but serves to increase its momentum. “This generous grant from Fremont Bank Foundation will inspire other individuals and companies from the private sector to help us increase the quality of the educational experience at Ohlone College,” Treadway says. “This is a great tribute to the crucial role community college education plays in our District.”

In recognition of Fremont Bank Foundation’s new grant and of Fremont Bank’s long history of support for the college, Ohlone College is designating its new Business and Community Conference Center as “Fremont Bank Conference Center”. The facility, located on the Newark campus, can accommodate up to 180 for a conference. A special feature of the conference area is the advanced system of teleconferencing equipment. The wireless state-of-the-art facility has capability to simultaneously engage people in the building with four or more video conference locations on a split screen.

ValleyCare Foundation - $100,000
This grant is in support of the ValleyCare Healthcare System’s Emergency Department Project at the ValleyCare Medical Center in Pleasanton. Due to a state mandate, the facility must significantly expand the square footage of its emergency room. The modernization and expansion of ValleyCare’s emergency room is projected to cost $6.7 million.

Phase one of the project was triggered when the ValleyCare capital campaign reached $2.6 million in funding, at which point Fremont Bank Foundation agreed to supply the final $100,000 to initiate the project.

About Fremont Bank.

Fremont Bank Foundation supports meritorious causes that help create and maintain a healthy, vital community. Sharing with the community is at the heart of Fremont Bank Foundation, which provides financial assistance to nonprofit organizations for the implementation of their extraordinary visions. Fremont Bank Foundation is unique in that it does not solicit funds nor accept unsolicited grant requests or uninvited proposals. The Foundation’s office is housed in the Community Outreach Department at Fremont Bank, which in addition to the Foundation operates three additional service programs including the Fremont Bank Corporate Giving Program, which provides financial support for worthy causes that have business relationships with Fremont Bank; FB Team H.E.R.O.E.S., which supplies and coordinates manpower and in-kind community service from Fremont Bank employees; and the Women’s Leadership Forum, which provides a networking and information sharing community for women associates of Fremont Bank.