Teddy B. Caring - the Office Depot Foundation's commemorative holiday bear - will join the Foundation to ring the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange on December 19.

The Office Depot Foundation – the independent, non-profit foundation that serves as the primary charitable giving arm of Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) – will celebrate its commitment to caring and making a difference by ringing The Closing Bell^® at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday, December 19.

To commemorate the visit, the Foundation will donate a number of its special Teddy B. Caring holiday bears along with children’s sackpacks containing essential school supplies for children at P.S. 279 Herman Schreiber School in Brooklyn and Leo F. Giblyn School in Freeport on Long Island, both of which were damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Representatives of the schools – including children, teachers and parents − will participate in the bell-ringing with Office Depot Foundation President Mary Wong and other guests.

“We are truly honored to have this opportunity to highlight our commitment to serving children, families and communities around the world,” Wong said. “We are especially pleased to donate teddy bears and school supplies to the children of P.S. 279 and Giblyn School to brighten their holidays as they continue to recover from Hurricane Sandy.”

The Office Depot Foundation is known for a number of strategic initiatives that support its commitment to caring. These include:

• The National Backpack Program – Helping kids succeed in school by donating more than 2.9 million backpacks and sackpacks to deserving children since 2001.
• Dream UP Career Exploration Program – Enabling middle school students to learn about future career opportunities and write essays about their “Dream Job.”
• 1-888-MY BIZ HELP – Helping non-profit organizations and small businesses to recover and rebuild after natural disasters by providing access to resources through a 24-hour toll-free hotline, the National Disaster Help Desk for Business, in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center.
• Weekend in Boca Civil Society Leadership Symposium – A free conference for non-profit organizations that focuses on capacity building, innovation and collaboration.

All of these programs are supported in part by sales of Teddy B. Caring, which is sold exclusively at Office Depot retail stores in the United States. The bear, which was created in 2001, was named “Teddy B. Caring” as a result of a companywide contest. Created by GUND^® exclusively for the Foundation, the 2012 edition stands 14” tall and sells for $14.99. The Office Depot Foundation will receive a full 45 percent of the cost of each bear sold.

To learn more about the Office Depot Foundation, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org, find it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/officedepotfoundation and follow it on Twitter @OfficeDepotFndn.

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 a variety of programs that help children succeed in school and in life; enable civil society (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. For more information, visit www.officedepotfoundation.org.

About Office Depot
Office Depot provides office supplies and services through 1,675 worldwide retail stores, a dedicated sales force, top-rated catalogs, and global e-commerce operations. Office Depot has annual sales of approximately $11.5 billion, employs about 39,000 associates, and serves customers in 60 countries around the world.

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

Listen Learn Care Foundation

Listen Learn Care Foundation

Compassionate. Creative. Committed.

As an independent, non-profit foundation, the Listen Learn Care Foundation (formerly the Office Depot Foundation) strives to make a difference to children, families and communities across the United States and around the world. In keeping with its mission, Listen Learn Care®, the Foundation supports a variety of programs that:

• Give children tools to succeed in school and in life
• Build the capacity of nonprofit organizations through collaboration and innovation
• Help communities prepare for disasters, as well as recovering and rebuilding afterwards

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