Home Depot Center News

The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation, the LA Galaxy Foundation and The Home Depot to build Reading Garden

CARSON, Calif. (Friday, March 25, 2011) - The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation, The Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation and The Home Depot announced today that Leapwood Avenue Elementary School in Carson, Calif., is the winner of the 2011 Reading Garden Challenge, and as a result, will have a Reading Garden built on their school campus.

\"We are thrilled, for the first time, to award Carson's own Leapwood Avenue Elementary School with a custom-built Reading Garden,\" said Tamala Lewis, director of The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation. \"This important community initiative is made possible by our partnership with the LA Galaxy Foundation and The Home Depot, and we look forward to the build next month.\"

The Reading Garden Challenge called for schools and students (grades K-5) to focus on Earth Day by reading Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, as part of the NEA's Lorax project student Earth Day, and were challenged to create posters based on one of the following environmentally friendly themes: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle; Save a Tree; Don't Waste Water; and Conserve Energy. The top five schools with the most posters submitted reflecting the themes were entered into a random drawing conducted by the LA Galaxy Foundation, The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation and The Home Depot to have a Reading Garden built at their school.

The Reading Garden will be built the week of April 11 with volunteers from The Home Depot Center, the LA Galaxy and The Home Depot. In addition, various workshops will be conducted at the school with students as part of the Reading Garden preparations.

In support of the Reading Garden, SouthBay Pavilion Mall, located at 20700 Avalon Blvd. in Carson, Calif., will display the top four (4) entries from Leapwood Avenue Elementary School between Wednesday, April 20 and Sunday, April 24.

The Reading Garden is funded with proceeds from the 2010 How Suite It Is! fundraiser, and contributions from The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation, the Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation and The Home Depot. In addition, Lakeshore Learning Materials, as a contributing sponsor, will be donating seat cushions for the Reading Garden.

On Saturday, August 20, the Los Angeles Galaxy Foundation and The Home Depot Center Charitable Foundation will host the 2011 How Suite It Is! fundraiser prior to the Galaxy's home game against the San Jose Earthquakes to raise funds for additional Reading Gardens.

For more information on the Reading Garden Challenge and to view images from last year's Reading Garden, please visit homedepotcenter.com.

Contact:

Alison Groendal Salcedo, The Home Depot Center Communications
(310) 630-2032