Stewart helps Office Depot deliver backpacks to Indiana kids

INDIANAPOLIS Office Depot and the Office Depot Foundation announced that Tony Stewart, an Indiana native and driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevy Impala in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, will join the Foundation on July 22 to donate more than 5,000 backpacks to non-profit organizations and schools in the Indianapolis area.

The backpack donations will be made during a special “Back-to-School Backpack Celebration” event beginning at 2 p.m. local time at the Office Depot store located at 12417 North Meridian Street in Carmel, Ind. In addition to Stewart, special guests scheduled to attend include Katherine Blane, representing Senator Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), State Senator Mike Delph (R-29), State Representative Cindy Noe (R-87), Hamilton County Commissioner Christine Altman and Carmel City Council Member Ron Carter, the company reported.

“I am very proud to partner with the Office Depot Foundation again this year and to be able to help so many kids here in the Indianapolis area,” Stewart said. “This is a big year for the Office Depot Foundation because it is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its National Backpack Program, and I can tell you from experience how rewarding it is to see the look on these kids’ faces when they get a new backpack – it’s an automatic boost of confidence for them and helps them feel ready to take on the new school year just like everybody else. Of all the things I’ll do this weekend, participating in this program is definitely the most important.”