Office Depot Hosts 'Backpack Donation Day' on August 31 With Two Events in Pennsylvania

Office Depot Hosts 'Backpack Donation Day' on August 31 With Two Events in Pennsylvania

More Than 4,000 Backpacks Will Be Donated to 18 Non-Profit Organizations and Elementary Schools; Children Will Also Receive Backpacks at the Events

PHILADELPHIA and ALLENTOWN, Penn., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
WHAT: Office Depot (NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office
products and services, will celebrate "Backpack Donation Day"
with two simultaneous events taking place in Philadelphia and
Allentown, PA. In collaboration with the company's National
Backpack Program, more than 4,000 backpacks will be presented
to 18 different non-profit organizations and elementary schools
that work with disadvantaged children.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050801/FLM019LOGO )

Children will attend both events and receive backpacks as well.

Both events will take place on August 31 and begin promptly at
2:00 p.m. at Office Depot's retail stores in Philadelphia and
Allentown.

This year, through the National Backpack Program, Office Depot
will donate more than 300,000 backpacks containing basic school
supplies to underprivileged and "at-risk" kids through area
non-profit organizations and Title One schools that help kids
throughout the country - just in time for kids heading back-to-
school.

Office Depot began offering its signature charitable in-kind
Backpack Program in 2001. Since its inception and including
this year, Office Depot will have placed more than 880,000
backpacks in the hands of children across North America.

Additionally, in an effort to reach out to the community at
large, Office Depot also invited qualified non-profit
organizations to submit requests for backpacks through its
Community Relations Website for the first time. From these
requests, recipients were selected and many of those who
submitted requests will receive backpacks at the scheduled
events.

Office Depot's deep commitment to "Caring and Making a
Difference," especially in the communities in which it
operates, inspires the office supply giant to become involved
with causes and organizations that make a profound social
impact.

WHEN: Both events in Philadelphia and Allentown will take place
Wednesday, August 31, 2005 and begin promptly at 2:00 p.m.

WHO: PHILADELPHIA EVENT:
* Office Depot District Manager, Rich Hopkins, will host the
event
* Representatives, board members, and children from the
following greater Philadelphia-based organizations will be in
attendance at the event and accept the backpacks containing
school supplies from Office Depot executives:

- Achieve Ability
- CASA of Camden County
- Arthur Ashe Youth Tennis and Education
- Children's Village Child Care Center
- Community Capital Advisors
- Federation Early Learning Services
- Lutheran Settlement House
- Mental Health Association of SE PA
- Philadelphia Children's Alliance
- St. Mary's Family Respite Center
- The COLOURS Organization, Inc.
- To Our Children's Future with Health, Inc.
- Troopers Program Incorporated
- Children's Crisis Treatment Center
- Methodist Services for Children and Families

ALLENTOWN EVENT:
* Office Depot Store Manager, Larry Fomma, will host the event
* Representatives, board members, and children from the
following Allentown-based organizations will be in attendance
at the event and accept the backpacks containing school
supplies from Office Depot executives:

- Child Advocacy Center of Lehigh County
- Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
- The Salvation Army Allentown PA Corps Community Center

Backpacks will also be donated to the Bethlehem Neighborhood
Center, but representatives will not be in attendance at the
event.

WHERE: Philadelphia Event:
Office Depot's Retail Store
9475-95 Roosevelt Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA 19114
Cross Streets: Corner of Grant Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard
215-969-2660

Allentown Event:
Office Depot's Retail Store
2180 Mac Arthur Road
Whitehall, PA 18052
Cross Streets: White Hall Square
610-432-4406

VISUALS: Backpack donations to organizations and children.
Photo opportunity and media interviews with representatives
from Office Depot and benefiting organizations and children
receiving backpacks.

Members of the media, both print and broadcast are encouraged to attend. Photos and interviews will follow the events. For media representatives that are unable to attend, photographs from the events will be available by contacting Lauren Garvey at lauren@jkggroup.com ; Lisa Black at lblack@jkggroup.com ; Seth Bidder at sbidder@jkggroup.com ; or Sarah Clark at sclark@jkggroup.com .

For more information, please contact:

Lauren Garvey
JKG Group
Ph: 561-989-9931, ext. 101
Cell Phone: 561-702-0178
lauren@jkggroup.com

Lisa Black
JKG Group
Ph: 561-989-9931, ext. 103
lblack@jkggroup.com

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050801/FLM019LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Office Depot

CONTACT: Lauren Garvey, ext. 101, or mobile, +1-561-702-0178, or
lauren@jkggroup.com, or Lisa Black, ext. 103, or lblack@jkggroup.com, both of
JKG Group, +1-561-989-9931, for Office Depot

Web site: http://www.officedepot.com/

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