OMX Officemax Incorporated

Teachers Spend Nearly $4 Billion Annually for Classroom Supplies -- OfficeMax Mobilizes Workforce Nationwide to Draw Attention to 'Teacher-Funded Classroom' Crisis NAPERVILLE, Ill., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- This October, teachers nationwide will be waiting in anticipation to find out if they have been selected for a surprise visit from their local OfficeMax. OfficeMax(R) Incorporated (NYSE:OMX), a leader in office products and services, is announcing it will again host 'A Day Made Better' events at approximately 1,300 schools nationwide on October 1, 2008 to bring awareness to the widespread problem of 'teacher-funded' classroom. In September, OfficeMax will reveal the schools selected for the 'A Day Made Better' events, but teacher selections will remain a surprise until October 1. To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/officemax/34614/ OfficeMax has partnered with Adopt-A-Classroom, an innovative not-for-profit organization supporting teachers in the classroom (http://www.adoptaclassroom.org/), to identify schools across the country, including Alaska, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Virgin Islands, and recognize extraordinary teachers for their dedication and innovative approach to education. "Teachers selected will be honored with a gift donation from OfficeMax for their classrooms valued at more than $1,000, which includes a swivel chair and box of classroom supplies, presented by local OfficeMax associates, school administrators and staff." "Teachers inspire and shape our country's greatest asset, our children, and it is astounding that they are left to cover the cost of doing a good job," said Bob Thacker, senior vice president of marketing for OfficeMax. "With our 'A Day Made Better' events, OfficeMax wants to inspire a national movement of support for teachers by attracting national attention to them on one special day and showing how easy it is to change this deplorable situation." According to a 2005 National Education Association (NEA) survey of more than 3 million members, teachers spend about $1,200 of their own money each year -- collectively nearly $4 billion annually -- to offset school budget shortfalls and ensure that children have necessary classroom resources. To facilitate 1,300 surprise events simultaneously, Adopt-A-Classroom is identifying needy schools located near OfficeMax retail stores and distribution centers to secure participation. Adopt-A-Classroom will target Title I schools, where classroom needs are great with a significant percent of students from low-income families. Participating school principals will name one teacher at their school, who consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication and innovation in teaching to be honored by 'A Day Made Better' on October 1, 2008. "Outside of the home, the teacher is the primary influence on our children," said Jamie Rosenberg, Founder and Executive Director of Adopt-A-Classroom, which raised more than $8 million to benefit classrooms since its inception and will celebrate its tenth anniversary this year. "Despite the fact that our country will need up to 2.4 million more teachers by 2010, we continue to lose half of our teachers within their first five years primarily due to lack of support. OfficeMax's 'A Day Made Better' events will serve as a wake-up call to the country and show how much our teachers need support now." OfficeMax first launched 'A Day Made Better' events in October 2007, conducting 1,000 classroom surprises across the country on one day. Emphasizing community action, the 2007 campaign attracted media headlines nationwide and helped Adopt-A-Classroom increase the number of classrooms adopted for donation by more than 1,400 percent. 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(R), technology products and solutions, and furniture to consumers and to large, medium and small businesses. OfficeMax customers are served by approximately 32,000 associates through direct sales, catalogs, e-commerce and nearly 1,000 stores. To find the nearest OfficeMax, call 1-877-OFFICEMAX. For more information, visit http://www.officemax.com/. OfficeMax Media Contacts: Bill Bonner 630 864 6066 Jennifer Rook 630 864 6057 http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/officemax/34614DATASOURCE: OfficeMax CONTACT: Bill Bonner, +1-630-864-6066, or Jennifer Rook, +1-630-864-6057, both of OfficeMax Web site: http://www.officemax.com/ http://www.adoptaclassroom.org/

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