OfficeMax and Adopt-A-Classroom Launch "Help Henryville"

NAPERVILLE, Ill., March 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the tornado that hit Henryville, Ind., on March 2, OfficeMax® Incorporated (NYSE:OMX), and Adopt-A-Classroom today announced a campaign to help Henryville Elementary School "get back to the business of learning." OfficeMax launched "Help Henryville" with an immediate $10,000 donation, which the nonprofit organization Adopt-A-Classroom is channeling directly to teachers at Henryville Elementary School to help them purchase materials needed to supply their temporary classrooms.

In addition to the $10,000 donation, now through April 15 OfficeMax will match every dollar – up to $15,000 – donated to the "Help Henryville" campaign on the Adopt-A-Classroom website (www.adoptaclassroom.org/helphenryville). The funds raised through "Help Henryville" will provide critically needed school supplies to the more than 40 teachers and 700 students displaced after the tornado destroyed nearly half the structure of Henryville Elementary School.

"Henryville lost so much when the tornado hit earlier this month, and now the teachers and administrators at Henryville Elementary are working tirelessly to help students get back to a sense of normalcy, and education is a part of that," said Carolynn Brooks, president of OfficeMax Charitable Foundation. Brooks added that education is an important cause for OfficeMax. "We feel it's important to help the school get back to the business of learning, and we ask that America join us by making a donation through Adopt-A-Classroom."

With the initial $10,000 donation from OfficeMax, each teacher at Henryville Elementary School has immediate access to $250 to spend on the supplies his or her classroom needs most. Teachers can choose the resources they need through a dedicated page on Adopt-A-Classroom's website.

"So often in the wake of a disaster, people send the aid they think a community needs to get back on its feet," says James Rosenberg, founder of Adopt-A-Classroom. "What's special about 'Help Henryville' is that each individual teacher gets to decide what's most needed in his or her classroom." The immediate availability of funds is also crucial as the school prepares to re-open temporarily at Graceland Baptist Church in New Albany, Ind. Some furniture and supplies were salvaged, but many classrooms in the school were a complete loss or could not be reached safely.

"I am so thankful for the acts of kindness that have come our way," said Heather Edrington, a teacher at Henryville Elementary School. "We try to teach our students how important it is to treat others with kindness and to be supportive to others.  They have witnessed many examples of these things in the last week.  We teachers truly appreciate all the support."

About OfficeMax
OfficeMax Incorporated (NYSE: OMX) is a leader in both business-to-business office products solutions and retail office products.  The OfficeMax mission is simple.  We help our customers do their best work.  The company provides office supplies and paper, in-store print and document services through OfficeMax ImPress®, technology products and solutions, and furniture to businesses and individual consumers.  OfficeMax customers are served by approximately 30,000 associates through direct sales, catalogs, e-commerce and nearly 1,000 stores.  Since 2007, OfficeMax Goodworks programs have served communities and schools, contributing more than $14 million in grants and supplies to support teachers and classrooms. To find the nearest OfficeMax, call 1-877-OFFICEMAX.  For more information, visit www.officemax.com.

About Adopt-A-Classroom
Founded in 1998, Adopt-A-Classroom is an award-winning nonprofit organization that increases opportunity for student success by empowering teachers with community partners and funds to purchase resources for the classroom. Adopt-A-Classroom pairs donors with teachers to provide critical resources and materials to meet the unique needs of their students and transform their classrooms into vibrant learning centers. For more information, visit AdoptAClassroom.org.

SOURCE OfficeMax Incorporated; Adopt-A-Classroom