Office Depot, Inc. Donates $500,000 to Teachers Nationwide Through Adoptaclassroom.Org

Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE: ODP), a leading global provider of school supplies, office products, services, and solutions formed by the merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax, today announced a donation of $500,000 to teachers throughout the country this back-to-school season through AdoptAClassroom.org. The funds are being distributed to more than 3,500 teachers nationwide to assist with purchasing of supplies and educational resources they need for their classrooms this upcoming school year.

The donation comes at the culmination of Office Depot, Inc.’s three-month campaign, Teachers Change Lives, which shined a spotlight on the issue that teachers spend up to $1,000 out-of-pocket each year on classroom supplies they need to do their job1. Office Depot and OfficeMax partnered with AdoptAClassroom.org, the national non-profit dedicated to providing teachers with the funds they need to create a dynamic learning environment where students can learn and succeed.

“It is a little known fact that teachers are spending so much of their own money for the supplies they need in the classroom.,” says Tim Rea, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Office Depot, Inc. “As a company, we are proud to support teachers and help off-set their out of pocket expenses by donating funds for the supplies and materials they need to start the school year off on the right foot.”

As part of the awareness campaign, which ran April through June, Office Depot, Inc. and AdoptAClassroom.org invited teachers to register their classrooms with the non-profit to become eligible for a donation this school season. Office Depot also encouraged others to help in the effort by making a donation directly to the non-profit organization.

The campaign featured videos of exceptional teachers from around the country illustrating the passion teachers have for educating their students, despite the many challenges they face, including insufficient funding. In addition, throughout the summer many Office Depot and OfficeMax stores across the country hosted in-store events celebrating teachers during Teacher Appreciation Days and offered special discounts

and giveaways including a free reusable tote bag.

“For many families, going to Office Depot or OfficeMax stores to buy their children’s school supplies is a fun, annual tradition,” says Bob Thacker, executive director of AdoptAClassroom.org. “We’re thrilled Office Depot is helping teachers and their students who otherwise may not be able to afford the tools needed to succeed in school.”

Teacher Change Lives is just one of Office Depot’s initiatives designed to support education, teachers and students. For more information about Office Depot and OfficeMax’s support of teachers, visit: officedepot.com/teachers.

View a “Thank You” video from students of teachers in the Teachers Change Lives campaign.

About Office Depot, Inc.

Formed by the merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax, Office Depot, Inc. is a leading global provider of products, services, and solutions for every workplace – whether your workplace is an office, home, school, or car.

Office Depot, Inc. is a resource and a catalyst to help customers work better. We are a single source for everything customers need to be more productive, including the latest technology, core office supplies, print and document services, business services, facilities products, furniture, and school essentials.

The company has combined pro forma annual sales of approximately $17 billion, employs more than 60,000 associates, and serves consumers and businesses in 57 countries with more than 2,000 retail stores, award-winning e-commerce sites and a dedicated business-to-business sales organization – all delivered through a global network of wholly owned operations, joint ventures, franchisees, licensees and alliance partners. The company operates under several banner brands including Office Depot, OfficeMax, OfficeMax Grand & Toy, Reliable and Viking. The company’s portfolio of exclusive product brands include TUL, Foray, DiVOGA, Ativa, WorkPRO, Realspace and HighMark.

Office Depot, Inc.’s common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP. Additional press information can be found at: http://news.officedepot.com.

Additional information about the recently completed merger of Office Depot and OfficeMax can be found at http://officedepotmaxmerger.com.

About AdoptAClassroom.org

AdoptAClassroom.org is a national 501(C) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to giving teachers a hand through the provision of essential classroom supplies so that students can succeed. Many teachers spend as much as $1,000 annually of their own money to equip their classrooms. Since 1998 AdoptAClassroom.org has raised over $21million to benefit classrooms across America. AdoptAClassroom.org has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. To adopt a classroom, visit http://www.adoptaclassroom.org.

1 Source: Adopt-A-Classroom.org