National PTA Relief Effort to Provide Support for Children,
Parents and Schools
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Office Depot, Inc.
(NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, today
announced that the Company is helping to support "Kids of Katrina" -- a
special relief effort created by National PTA to assist those schools impacted
by Hurricane Katrina. Joining with Office Depot are Roush Racing and Carl
Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup
Series. The "Kids of Katrina" program will help children, parents and schools
in areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, and Florida.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050801/FLM019LOGO )
In the wake of one of the most devastating natural disasters to hit the
nation, Edwards publicly stated that he would donate his winnings from the
Ameriquest 300 race held at California Speedway earlier this month to the Red
Cross Hurricane Katrina relief effort. Edwards is also focusing his support
on "Kids of Katrina" in order to help provide much needed backpacks and
supplies to children as they return to school. Additionally, Office Depot is
donating backpacks and school supplies to the "Kids of Katrina" program. The
Company already made a $1 million donation to the American Red Cross for the
Hurricane Katrina relief effort.
Edwards commented that, "Before the race I was watching the hurricane
coverage and thought to myself, 'there are many more important things going on
in the country right now.' I wanted to help even if it was in a small way.
To have Office Depot step up and donate backpacks and school supplies for the
kids is just awesome. I'm really proud to be a part of this effort and I hope
it will be one small step in helping thousands of people get back to somewhat
of a normal life."
Those interested in learning more or lending their support to the "Kids of
Katrina" effort can go online to http://www.officedepotracing.com and link to
National PTA's "Kids of Katrina" donation form.
Roush Racing, Edwards and Office Depot are also highlighting this
important effort to help "Kids of Katrina" with special recognition on the
paint scheme of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford during Sunday's Sylvania 300 at
New Hampshire International Speedway (TNT, 12:30 p.m. ET).
"It is very important for all of us to do what we can to help the
thousands of children and schools that have been affected by this tragedy,"
said Chuck Rubin, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising/Marketing
Officer for Office Depot. "Our hope is to provide some of the necessities
that will enable children, parents and schools to take another step forward as
they transition back into classrooms and recover from this difficult time."
"Everything we do is for children. Their safety and wellness has always
been a top priority," said Anna Weselak, President of National PTA. "PTA wants
to do everything it can to aid in the relief effort. The best way we can help
is by connecting our members and providing support to the children, families,
and schools that need it most."
About Office Depot
With annual sales approaching $14 billion, Office Depot provides more
office products and services to more customers in more countries than any
other company. Incorporated in 1986 and headquartered in Delray Beach,
Florida, Office Depot conducts business in 23 countries and employs 47,000
people worldwide. The Company operates under the Office Depot(R), Viking
Office Products(R), Viking Direct(R), Guilbert(R), and Tech Depot(R) brand
names. Additional press information can be found at:
http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.
About Roush Racing
Roush Racing is a subsidiary of Livonia, Mich., based Roush Industries
that operates ten motorsports teams; five in NASCAR Nextel Cup with drivers
Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards; three in
the Busch Series with Martin, Kenseth and Edwards; and two in the Craftsman
Truck Series with drivers Ricky Craven and Todd Kluever.
About National PTA
With nearly 6 million members, National PTA is the largest volunteer
parent organization in the United States. Since its founding in 1897, National
PTA has prided itself on being a powerful voice for children, a relevant
resource for parents, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership
in National PTA is open to anyone who is concerned with the education, health,
and welfare of children and youth. For more information about National PTA,
visit http://www.pta.org.
SOURCE Office Depot
/CONTACT: Mindy Kramer, Office Depot, +1-561-438-4276, or
mkramer@officedepot.com; or Sheri Herrmann, Roush Racing, +1-704-720-4632, or
slherr@roushracing.com/
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