Office Depot Foundation Celebrates Zach Bonner's 'Walk to the White House' by Giving Him 1,225 Backpacks - One for Every Mile of Young Philanthropist's Journey

BOCA RATON, Fla. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - The Office Depot Foundation announced today that it will help Zach Bonner celebrate the successful conclusion of his journey from Tampa to Washington by donating 1,225 backpacks - one for every mile that the 11-year-old philanthropist has walked - to his Little Red Wagon Foundation.

The donation also helps the Office Depot Foundation to commemorate an extraordinary milestone of its own: the donation of the two millionth backpack to deserving children across the U.S., Canada and globally since the inception of its National Backpack Program in 2001.

"We share Zach Bonner's determination to help kids succeed," says Mary Wong, president of the independent, nonprofit foundation that serves as the primary charitable giving arm of Office Depot (NYSE: ODP). "Zach is an inspiration to children, adults and, really, to our entire nation. We are thrilled to assist this exceptional young man as he works not only to raise awareness about homeless youth, but also to provide them with backpacks and school supplies."

Zach is scheduled to conclude his three-year, 1,225-mile odyssey on the morning of July 9, when he walks from Lafayette Park (across from the White House) to the U.S. Capitol. Several hundred children are expected to accompany him for the final mile. The Office Depot Foundation will give backpacks to the first 500 children who join Zach at Lafayette Park.

"I am very grateful for the backpacks that are being donated by the Office Depot Foundation," Zach says. "It will enable me to help children in homeless youth programs and kids in Title 1 schools now and throughout the year."

Bonner, who was profiled by "Good Morning America" in January, is featured on AOL's new philanthropy news area, http://www.aolnews.com/philanthropy, created in partnership with Philanthropy Project, a not-for-profit initiative of the John Templeton Foundation. Philanthropy Project - which is using the power of the moving image to inspire every American man, woman, and child to become a philanthropist - is producing a motion picture being written by Patrick Sheane Duncan (Mr. Holland's Opus, Courage Under Fire). The movie is inspired by Zach's extraordinary personal story and his efforts to bring awareness to the plight of more than 1.3 million homeless children living in the U.S.

Receiving a new backpack can play an important role in helping a homeless child - or any child without the resources to buy one - to build self-confidence, boost self-esteem and achieve greater success in school. "Providing a backpack is one of the most important things we can do to promote success and resilience," observes Andrew Munoz, Ed.D., vice president of the Center for Youth Development at the Academy for Educational Development in Washington. "A backpack helps a child to know that we care. It's powerful in their lives and enables them to experience a level of support that they carry with them throughout the year."

In 2009, the Office Depot Foundation will donate approximately 300,000 backpacks containing essential school supplies to deserving children. The donations play a key role in supporting the Foundation's strategic priority of helping children to succeed in school - and in life.

About the Office Depot Foundation

The Office Depot Foundation is an independent foundation (tax exempt under IRC Sec. 501(c)(3)) that serves as the independent charitable giving arm of Office Depot, Inc. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care, the Foundation supports programs that help children succeed in school and in life; enable non-profit organizations to become more efficient and effective; help people and businesses prepare for disasters, then recover and rebuild afterwards; strengthen local communities through grants, product donations and volunteerism; and encourage community development through entrepreneurship and economic innovation. To learn more, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org. Media: for additional information, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org/backpackprogram/default.asp.

About Philanthropy Project

Philanthropy Project, launched in October 2007 with a $10 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation (www.templeton.org), is a not-for-profit campaign that is using the moving image to inspire and enable every man, woman, and child to be a philanthropist. Its primary sources of inspiration are the 72,000 charitable foundations across America, whose innovative good works are helping to solve some of our country's most pressing human needs; and the everyday generosity of legions of Americans from coast to coast who epitomize the spirit and practice of citizen philanthropy. In 2008, Philanthropy Project inaugurated its Filmanthropy Scholarship Competition, awarding more than $140,000 in scholarships to young filmmakers at the American Film Institute (AFI).

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Office Depot Foundation
Leon Rubin, 561-251-8075 (Mobile)
Office: 706-867-0278
LRubin@jkggroup.com
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B|W|R Public Relations
Steven Wilson, 310-497-4951 (Mobile)
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Emily Davis, 310-497-4951 (Mobile)
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edavis@bwr-la.com