All-Star Kind of Love: Harlequin and Office Depot Announce 'Say Yes to a Winning Proposal' National Contest Winner

CONCORD, N.C., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- It's a proposal guaranteed to get a winning answer -- YES!

Tomorrow night, Phillip Pruzensky and Janice Scarfe ofOrange County, Calif., will have their marriage proposal featured on the back of Carl Edwards' No. 99 Office Depot Ford during the 2008 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway (SPEED, 7 p.m. EDT) and receive a VIP prize package worth more than $10,000.

The couple were chosen as winners of the "Say Yes To A Winning Proposal" national contest sponsored by Harlequin, a leading publisher of women's fiction worldwide, and Office Depot(R) (NYSE: ODP), the official office products partner of NASCAR. The contest, which ran from February 14 to March 31, required entrants to tell Harlequin and Office Depot - in 50 words or less - why their marriage proposal should happen at the All-Star Race and what winning the contest would mean to them.

"I'm really excited to have Phillip and Janice's marriage proposal on the back of my No. 99 Office Depot Ford this weekend and to be part of what I know will be an amazing memory for them," Edwards said. "This contest is a cool example of the partnership between Office Depot and Harlequin, and gives fans a different and really personal opportunity to experience NASCAR.

"Hopefully I'll be able to help the winning couple celebrate their engagement with a trip to Victory Lane!"

More than 600 entries were submitted at www.GetYourHeartRacing.com, a Web site dedicated to the Harlequin NASCAR fan. The winning proposal and submissions from contest finalists are currently on display on the site.

Pruzensky, 23, and Scarfe, 21, have been dating for more than three years and discovered their shared love of NASCAR on their very first date. Both are busy college students, but make a point to watch the races together most every weekend. And when they heard about the "Say Yes To A Winning Proposal" promotion earlier this year, Pruzensky knew he had to enter.

"Our reaction was pretty much, 'How perfect would this be?'" Pruzensky said. "Not only are we huge NASCAR fans, but Carl Edwards is our favorite driver -- we've followed him since the beginning of his career.

"We've been talking about marriage for awhile now -- the when, the where, the how -- but I honestly can't think of a more memorable way to ask Janice to marry me than at the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Plus, this will be the first race we've been to together, which makes everything even more special."

In addition to having their proposal highlighted on the back of Edwards' No. 99 Office Depot Ford, Pruzensky and Scarfe will also receive a diamond ring, customized stationery provided by the Office Depot Design, Print & Ship Depot(TM) and a romantic trip for two to REDROCK COUNTRY inSedona, Ariz.

Harlequin and NASCAR are currently in their third year of partnership, and Michelle Renaud of Harlequin said the company continuously looks for new ways to engage its loyal fans and leverage partnerships with NASCAR sponsors like Office Depot.

"We are thrilled to provide a fairy-tale proposal for Phillip and Janice, who are great NASCAR fans," Renaud said. "And with the release of 20 NASCAR-themed novels -- including a new book featuring Carl Edwards slated for release in June -- as well as the 'Say Yes To A Winning Proposal' contest with Office Depot, we are excited to introduce even more fans to Harlequin."

About Harlequin

Harlequin Enterprises Limited is the global leader in series romance and one of the world's leading publishers of women's fiction, with titles issued worldwide in 25 languages and sold in 94 international markets. The company produces over 115 titles monthly and publishes more than 1,300 authors from around the world. Harlequin Enterprises Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation, a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TS.nv.b). Harlequin's Web site is located at www.eHarlequin.com. Harlequin has offices in 18 countries, including the cities ofToronto,New York andLondon. For more information please visit www.eHarlequin.com or press.eHarlequin.com.

About Office Depot

Every day, Office Depot is Taking Care of Business for millions of customers around the globe. For the local corner store as well as Fortune 500 companies, Office Depot provides products and services to its customers through 1,670 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs and a $4.9 billion e-commerce operation. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $15.5 billion, and employs about 49,000 associates around the world. The Company provides more office products and services to more customers in more countries than any other company, and currently sells to customers directly or through affiliates in 43 countries.

Office Depot's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index. Additional press information can be found at: http://mediarelations.officedepot.com.

About NASCAR Library Collection

A division of NASCAR's overall licensing operation in itsCharlotte office, NASCAR Publishing oversees more than 40 licensed publishing partners. In 2004 NASCAR launched the NASCAR Library Collection, which provides a level of authentication and quality to NASCAR-licensed books. Representing a range of books as diverse and varied as the NASCAR fan base, the NASCAR Library Collection captures the NASCAR lifestyle from all angles. The NASCAR Library Collection includes books in a number of categories, including drivers and personalities, cookbooks, history, children, fiction and romance, and statistics, facts and reference. NASCAR Library Collection titles can be found in an array of retail outlets, including mass market, bookstores, NASCAR.com Superstore, specialty and more.

About NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR), celebrating 60 years in 2008, is the sanctioning body for one ofNorth America's premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport-holding 17 of the top 20 highest attended sporting events in the U.S., and is the No. 2 rated regular-season sport on television. NASCAR races are broadcast in more than 150 countries and in more than 30 languages. NASCAR fans are the most brand loyal in all of sports, and as a result more Fortune 500 companies participate in NASCAR than in any other sport.

NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series), four regional series and one local grassroots series, as well as two international series. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races at 100 tracks in more than 30 U.S. states,Canada andMexico. Based in Daytona Beach (Fla.), NASCAR has offices inNew York,Los Angeles,Charlotte (N.C.),Concord (N.C.),Conover (N.C.), Bentonville (Ark.),Mexico City andToronto.

SOURCE Harlequin

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