Merrill Lynch Connects Senior Citizens with Friends and Family During Holiday Season; Free Phone Calls Provided to Local Seniors Citizens for 24th Year

Business Wire, Dec 25, 2003

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 25, 2003

For the 24th year, Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER) welcomed senior citizens to its offices in New York City for free usage of the firm's telephones to call loved ones anywhere in the world. Created in 1980, Merrill Lynch's Christmas Calls program is a company-wide initiative that has reached more than 210,000 senior citizens globally.

"The Christmas Calls program has become one of our favorite traditions at Merrill Lynch," said Ahmass Fakahany, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Merrill Lynch. "This is the 24th year that we have been welcoming seniors into our offices on Christmas Day, and it really has made the day special for our employees who volunteer to support the seniors as well as the seniors themselves."

Mr. Fakahany was among the more than 200 Merrill Lynch employees working in the company's 222 Broadway office in New York on Christmas. Approximately 1,000 senior citizens began arriving at 8:00 a.m. to place their calls worldwide. The seniors are from 30 New York City Department for the Aging senior centers.

Representatives of Sprint were on hand to answer questions and ensure that the seniors were able to place their calls successfully. Refreshments, holiday music and decorations added to the festivities.

Earlier this month, volunteers at Merrill Lynch's 101 Hudson facilities in Jersey City hosted nearly 1,500 senior citizens for Christmas Calls. Additionally, Merrill Lynch volunteers visited hundreds of seniors in The Bronx and Staten Island during annual Outreach Programs. Employees served lunch and provided cell phones for homebound seniors who would not otherwise have been able to connect with their loved ones during the holiday season.

"Many seniors look forward to Christmas Calls throughout the year, and express their gratitude for the chance to speak to loved ones," Commissioner Edwin Mendez-Santiago of the New York City Department for the Aging said. "The Department for the Aging is happy to continue this merry tradition with Merrill Lynch."

Merrill Lynch Christmas Calls began in 1980 as a single event at the firm's corporate headquarters in New York. Eight employee volunteers and more than 100 senior citizens participated. This year, nearly 80 Merrill Lynch offices around the world opened their doors to over 12,000 seniors.

In 1987, Merrill Lynch Christmas Calls was honored with a Presidential Award for Private Sector Initiatives, the nation's highest honor recognizing volunteer service and community outreach programs.

Merrill Lynch is one of the world's leading financial management and advisory companies, with offices in 37 countries and total client assets of about $1.4 trillion. As an investment bank, it is a top global underwriter and market maker of debt and equity securities, and a leading strategic advisor to corporations, governments, institutions and individuals worldwide. Through Merrill Lynch Investment Managers, the company is one of the world's largest managers of financial assets. For more information on Merrill Lynch, go to www.ml.com.