Office Depot Pledges $1M for Scripps Child Neuro Disease Research

[Guest guest]

(wow, now this is some great news for Scripps Childhood Neurological

Disease Research program and 2004 the Year of the CMT Child, too! I'm

looking forward to continuing to follow their research at the new

facility. What great hope!)

Office Depot Pledges $1M Corporate Gift to the Scripps Research

Institute for Its Childhood Neurological Disease Research Program in

Palm Beach County

LA JOLLA, Calif. & DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 30,

2004--The Scripps Research Institute and Office Depot, Inc., today

announced a joint philanthropic alliance, whereby Office Depot pledged a

$1 million corporate gift to Scripps Research for its Childhood

Neurological Disease Research Program at its new Florida facility.

The announcement makes Office Depot the first major corporate

philanthropic partner to be announced by Scripps Florida, a division of

The Scripps Research Institute, dedicated to expanding its

internationally recognized programs and basic research.

Today, Bruce , Chairman and CEO of Office Depot, presented the $1

million corporate gift to A. Lerner, M.D., Scripps' president,

at a special luncheon at the Boca Raton Marriott which was sponsored by

the Boca Raton Roundtable and the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of

Commerce.

Office Depot's gift will create the Office Depot Program in Childhood

Neurological Disease Research and will fund research by Halpain,

PhD, and Steve Kay, PhD, among other Scripps researchers in the

Institute of Childhood and Neglected Diseases. The gift will be made

over a period of 10 years.

Scripps Florida in Palm Beach County represents the first time that The

Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, will create a new

center for its world-class research beyond its original campus. Scripps

Research's new biomedical research facility will be built on 100 acres

in northern Palm Beach County on the Mecca Farms site. Scripps Florida's

permanent facilities will open in 2006.

According to Dr. Lerner, the relationship between Office Depot and The

Scripps Research Institute is a mutually beneficial alliance from both a

business and values perspective.

" This generous contribution from Office Depot will support research that

may lead to better health and an improved quality of life for millions

of children and adults, many of them in developing countries around the

world, " Lerner said. " It reflects the concern and good corporate

citizenship of Office Depot and promotes the mission of Scripps Florida

and The Scripps Research Institute. "

" We are delighted to support The Scripps Research Institute, "

added. " It is a world-class research institution with an outstanding

reputation and we are extremely fortunate to have Scripps establish a

presence in Palm Beach County. The organization's world-renowned

scientists and researchers have made a profound effect in the lives of

so many around the world. "

According to , the company's philanthropic mission is " Caring and

Making a Difference. " Office Depot's gift for the Childhood Neurological

Disease Research Program will help fund biomedical research intended to

find cures for children with neurological diseases such as malaria,

epilepsy, mental retardation and cystic fibrosis.

About The Scripps Research Institute

The Scripps Research Institute , one of the country's largest private

nonprofit research organizations, has always stood at the forefront of

basic biomedical science, a vital segment of medical research that seeks

to comprehend the most fundamental processes of life. In just three

decades the Institute has established a lengthy track record of major

contributions to the betterment of health and the human condition.

The Institute has become internationally recognized for its basic

research into immunology, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry,

neurosciences, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases and

synthetic vaccine development. Particularly significant is the

Institute's study of the basic structure and design of biological

molecules; in this arena Scripps Research is among a handful of the

world's leading centers.

About Office Depot

With annual sales of nearly $12 billion, no one sells more office

supplies to more customers in more countries than Office Depot. Founded

in 1986 and headquartered in Delray Beach, FL, the company conducts

business in 23 countries and employs nearly 50,000 people worldwide.

Office Depot is an industry leader in every distribution channel - from

retail stores and contract delivery to catalogs and e-commerce. The

company is the world's number two online retailer - on target to

generate $2.6B in sales for FY'03. In North America, Office Depot has

more than 900 retail stores in addition to a national

business-to-business delivery network supported by 22 delivery centers,

more than 60 local sales offices and 13 regional call centers.

Recently, Office Depot was recognized in BusinessWeek as the country's

11th most generous in-kind giver as a percentage of revenues. Also, the

company was one of twelve companies included in the Companies That Care

Honor Roll.