Paychex and Hibernia National Bank Partner with American Red Cross to Provide Relief Checks for Hurricane Katrina Victims.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Paychex, Inc., is processing, printing and mailing the first of thousands of disaster relief checks for victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana. Paychex has partnered with the American Red Cross and Hibernia National Bank, the largest banking organization in Louisiana, in this initiative to provide emergency funds to people affected by the disaster.

The Red Cross anticipates that Paychex will process as many as 10,000 checks per day for 30 days in Rochester, N.Y., home to Paychex's corporate headquarters. The disaster relief checks will be mailed directly to hurricane victims to help them cover basic needs.

"Hurricane Katrina was a natural disaster that resulted in a national tragedy of incredible magnitude," said Jonathan J. Judge, president and CEO of Paychex. "We're proud to be part of the solution that helps the people hardest hit get back on their feet.

"The Red Cross needs the ability to quickly get funds to hurricane victims; Paychex has the capability of responding quickly and effectively. For us, it's a matter of giving back to communities where some of our employees and clients live and work."

Nearly 600 Red Cross staff and volunteers at 50 locations throughout Louisiana are working with victims of Katrina to determine eligibility, collect names and confirm current mailing addresses so checks can be delivered. Checks will be provided, based on family size, in one of five pre-determined amounts ranging from $360 to $1,565.

Hibernia, with 321 locations throughout Louisiana and Texas, will issue the checks. Hibernia will be ready to cash the checks or open accounts to which customers can deposit the checks based on individual customer needs.

A pre-printed message on each check stub will instruct the recipient to cash or deposit the check at his or her bank. Additionally, the checks may be cashed, free of charge, at any Hibernia branch.

"The American Red Cross is grateful to Paychex for their responsiveness and support of our disaster relief efforts. The check processing service that Paychex has implemented will help provide Katrina survivors with the funds to help meet their immediate needs. The generosity of good corporate citizens, such as Paychex and Hibernia, demonstrates their belief in our humanitarian mission and will hopefully inspire other organizations to follow their lead in helping those devastated by Hurricane Katrina," said Kathleen Loehr, interim senior vice president of development for the Red Cross.

Headquartered in New Orleans for more than 135 years, Hibernia offers a broad spectrum of products and services for businesses and consumers.

"We are proud to partner with Paychex and the American Red Cross on this innovative approach to providing relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina," said David P. Frady, executive vice president at Hibernia.

A team of 25 Paychex professionals was assembled, with the endorsement of Judge, to develop and implement a plan, in conjunction with Hibernia, to meet the needs of the Red Cross and Hurricane Katrina victims. The plan was created, tested and ready to execute in 72 hours.

The Red Cross will send an electronic file to Paychex each evening with the information necessary to process checks the following day. The U.S. Postal Service will pick up and deliver the checks to the recipients.

Paychex is charging the Red Cross only for postage for this program. The Standard Register Company is donating the check stock on which the checks are being printed.

About Paychex

Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYX) is a leading provider of payroll, human resource, and benefits outsourcing solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses. The company offers comprehensive payroll services, including payroll processing, payroll tax administration, time and attendance solutions and employee pay services, including direct deposit, check signing, and Readychex(R). Human Resource Services include 401(k) plan recordkeeping, workers' compensation administration, section 125 plans, a professional employer organization, and other administrative services for business. Paychex was founded in 1971. With headquarters in Rochester, New York, the company has more than 100 offices and serves approximately 522,000 payroll clients nationwide. For more information about Paychex and our products, visit www.paychex.com.

About American Red Cross

American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of the recent hurricanes and thousands of other disasters across the country each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting www.redcross.org. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation.

About Hibernia Bank

Hibernia is on Forbes magazine's list of the world's 2,000 largest companies and Fortune magazine's list of America's top 1,000 companies according to annual revenue. Hibernia has $22.1 billion in assets and 321 locations in 34 Louisiana parishes and 36 Texas counties. Hibernia Corporation's common stock (HIB) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.