8.21.2008 - 08:00am ET

(CSRwire) OAK BROOK, ILL. - August 21, 2008 - Today, Ronald McDonald House Charities(R) (RMHC(R)) announced a multi-year sponsorship with La-Z-Boy Incorporated that includes annual furniture donations to all Ronald McDonald Houses(R) and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms(R) in Canada and the United States, a cash contribution and volunteerism by members of the La-Z-Boy family.

"We are proud to be associated with the La-Z-Boy brand, which has been a symbol of comfort and support for more than eight decades," said Marty Coyne, president and CEO of RMHC. "RMHC wouldn't be where it is today if it weren't for the support of corporate donors. RMHC is projected to grow our programs by 37 percent by 2010 and we couldn’t do that without the generous contributions of time, money and in-kind donations from companies like La-Z-Boy. Their furniture will bring comfort to families every night who are experiencing one of the most stressful times of their life. RMHC is a global organization, and our corporate donors allow us to directly impact children and families on a local level."

In September 2008, La-Z-Boy will commence with efforts towards their goal of providing thousands of pieces of furniture to RMHC over the next few years. The company will provide four new pieces of furniture per year to existing Ronald McDonald Houses and will furnish the common areas of Ronald McDonald Houses and Ronald McDonald Family Rooms constructed during the sponsorship. La-Z-Boy also hopes to establish a unique volunteer program that encourages employees to get involved with local RMHC events in their community.

"As a company we believe in building long-term partnerships and giving back to the communities in which we operate," said Kurt Darrow, president and CEO of La-Z-Boy. "Our missions align perfectly. Providing comfort to families is at the core of each organization and La-Z-Boy is committed, through our product and cash contributions, to further the impact of RMHC programs. Our partnership is all encompassing and will be brought to life at every level of our organization. We plan to engage our retail partners, customers and corporate staff to support the families of seriously ill children, providing them with a little added comfort when they need it most. In the coming months, we will be inviting our customers to join our cause to help 'Share the Comfort' to help those families staying at a Ronald McDonald House or utilizing a Ronald McDonald Family Room."

About the Ronald McDonald House Program:
The Ronald McDonald House program provides families with a "home away from home" while their children receive treatment in a nearby hospital or medical facility. Here, family members can sleep, eat, relax and find support from other families in similar situations. Since 1974, Ronald McDonald Houses have helped more than 10 million families in need. There are currently 174 Ronald McDonald Houses programs in North America.

About the Ronald McDonald Family Room:
The Ronald McDonald Family Room program provides a home-like haven inside hospitals, offering families of critically ill children an opportunity to reflect, shower or rest while being steps from their child. There are currently 70 Ronald McDonald Family Rooms in North America.

About RMHC Ronald McDonald House Charities, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well being of children. Its programs are grassroots-driven to enable the Charity to offer help where children need it most — right in their own communities.

RMHC makes an immediate, positive impact on children's lives through its global network of local Chapters in more than 53 countries and regions and its three core programs: Ronald McDonald House(R), Ronald McDonald Family Room(R) and Ronald McDonald Care Mobile(R). RMHC and its global network of local Chapters have awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in grants and program services to children's programs around the world. For more information, visit www.rmhc.org.

About La-Z-Boy
La-Z-Boy Incorporated is one of the world’s leading residential furniture producers, marketing furniture for every room of the home. The La-Z-Boy Upholstery Group companies are Bauhaus, England and La-Z-Boy. The La-Z-Boy Casegoods Group companies are American Drew/Lea, Hammary and Kincaid.

The corporation's proprietary distribution network is dedicated exclusively to selling La-Z-Boy Incorporated products and brands, and includes 335 stand-alone La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries(R) stores, 57 La-Z-Boy In-Store Galleries and 333 Comfort Studios, in addition to in-store gallery programs at the company's Kincaid, England and Lea operating units. According to industry trade publication In Furniture, the La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries retail network is North America’s largest single-brand furniture retailer. Additional information is available at http://www.la-z-boy.com/.

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