Business Wire, March 25, 2003 p5713

Dream Foundation Receives $200,000 Donation from Office Depot at Local Florida Ceremony.

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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. & DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 25, 2003

Dream Foundation Ambassador, Priscilla Presley, Accepts Donation

On Behalf of the Organization

Today, at a special ceremony held at Office Depot's headquarters in Delray Beach, Florida, the Dream Foundation, a national pioneer in granting dreams to adults battling terminal illnesses, received a $200,000 donation from Office Depot, Inc. (NYSE:ODP).

Priscilla Presley, Dream Foundation Ambassador and Thomas Rollerson, Founder and President of the Dream Foundation accepted the donation from Bruce Nelson, Chairman and CEO of Office Depot. The contribution is three-fold; it will help the Dream Foundation to sponsor "Emergency" dreams for adults in their final months, fund the cost for transportation needed to carry out many dreams, and a portion will be dedicated to assisting with the dreams of Office Depot employees.

"I am extremely grateful to Office Depot for their tremendous generosity and genuine commitment to corporate philanthropy," commented Dream Foundation President and Founder, Thomas W. Rollerson. "Their extraordinary contribution ensures that many adults whose lives will end prematurely due to terminal illnesses will not pass from this earth without realizing one final wish from the heart."

In addition to presenting Ms. Presley with the donation for the Dream Foundation, Office Depot also presented Charisse Stone, an Office Depot employee from Buena Park, California with a dream package sponsored by the Dream Foundation. Mrs. Stone and her husband Mike will be taking a cruise to Alaska to visit his family.

Today's ceremony and donation mark the continuation of a strong partnership between Office Depot and the Dream Foundation. In 2002, Office Depot contributed almost $200,000 in cash and in-kind contributions to the Dream Foundation for dream granting assistance. In May of this year, Office Depot will launch a comprehensive promotional campaign called "Giving the Gift of Timeless Memories." Brochures and posters highlighting the Dream Foundation as well as its dream sponsorships will be displayed in all of Office Depot's retail stores.

Commenting on today's ceremony, Bruce Nelson, Chairman and CEO for Office Depot said, "We're pleased to continue our support of the Dream Foundation, a remarkable organization that makes such a meaningful difference in the lives of so many around the country each and every day. We are equally proud to offer priceless memories to our own employees, so they may be able to make life-long dreams come true."

With a remarkably diverse career that includes successes in the acting, producing, business & publishing arenas, Dream Foundation Ambassador, Priscilla Presley is one of the most internationally accomplished and admired women of our generation. "I am delighted to accept this check on behalf of the Dream Foundation," Presley commented. "We sincerely appreciate the generosity of Bruce Nelson and Office Depot. This gift will enable the Dream Foundation to grant many more dreams to families devastated by terminal illnesses."

About the Dream Foundation

Dream Foundation (www.dreamfoundation.org) grants wishes to adults between the ages of 18-65 whose life expectancy is one year or less and whose limited resources leave them unable to manifest a dream for themselves. Although there are no cures for the illnesses that afflict dream recipients, the Dream Foundation can dramatically impact the quality of their remaining life with the joy experienced from a dream come true. In addition to Office Depot, the Dream Foundation is pleased and honored to receive generous support from other Southern Florida corporations, including the Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa and JKG Group.

About Office Depot

No one sells more office products to more customers in more countries than Office Depot. The Company operates under the Office Depot(R), Viking Office Products(R), Viking Direct(R) and 4Sure.com(R) brand names. As of December 28, 2002, Office Depot operated 867 office supply superstores in the United States and Canada, in addition to a national business-to-business delivery network supported by 24 delivery centers, more than 60 local sales offices and 13 regional call centers. Furthermore, the Company sells products and services in 20 countries outside of the United States and Canada, including 37 office supply stores in France and 13 in Japan that are owned and operated by the Company; and 121 additional office supply stores under joint venture and licensing agreements operating under the Office Depot(R) name in seven foreign countries.

The Company also operates an award-winning U.S. Office Depot brand Web site at www.officedepot.com where customers can access Office Depot's low competitive prices seven days a week, twenty-four hours a day, as well as a new Spanish language Web site at http://espanol.officedepot.com. The Company also operates 32 other Web sites in the U.S. and 14 international countries including: Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Japan, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Office Depot's common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ODP and is included in the S&P 500 Index.

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