DELRAY BEACH, FL. (Top40 Charts/ Office Depot) - Students at Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina will be treated to a special visitor today when platinum-selling recording artist
Gavin DeGraw shows up at their school to perform a live concert. Office Depot (NYSE:ODP), a leading global provider of office products and services, will also provide the 1,800 students with customized backpacks containing school supplies, including pens, pencils, and a 1GB USB Flash Drive. The concert by DeGraw is part of the winning prize package from Office Depot's 'Great Tunes To Start School' sweepstakes.
Emsley A. Laney High School was randomly selected from more than 450,000 entries nationwide for Office Depot's back to school promotion. DeGraw's concert at Emsley A. Laney High School also marks a homecoming of sorts for the recording artist as he sings 'I Don't Want To Be,' his No 1 hit single and theme song for the popular TV show 'One Tree Hill,' which coincidentally films on location at this school.
'Going back to school and performing for these kids is going to be an amazing experience and one that I know I will never forget,' DeGraw said. 'I'm grateful that Office Depot asked me to participate in this special back to school program and can't wait to share my music with the students and teachers at Laney High School.'
"Office Depot's '5% Back to Schools' program provides much-needed supplies for schools across the country, and by partnering with Gavin DeGraw for this year's 'Great Tunes To Start School' sweepstakes, we were able to give money back to thousands of schools allowing them to get the supplies they need for their students and teachers,' said Chuck Rubin, President of North American Retail for Office Depot. "Office Depot is committed to supporting schools, teachers and education throughout the country, and this is a great example of that effort coming to life."
'The students and faculty here at Emsley A. Laney High School are so excited to welcome Gavin DeGraw to our school and truly grateful for the support from Office Depot in making this possible,' said Allen O'Briant, Principal at Emsley A. Laney High School.
Since the program began in 1999, the Office Depot 5% Back to Schools program has granted millions of dollars in merchandise credits each year to more than 35,000 schools in the U.S. and Canada.
Schools were automatically entered into the national 'Great Tunes To Start School' sweepstakes through Office Depot's 5% Back to Schools program which turns purchases into credits that schools can use for classroom supplies year-round. Any time a parent, teacher or student buys school supplies at Office Depot, they can give their school's 5% Back to Schools ID at the register and 5% of their qualified purchase will be donated back to the school of their choice on a quarterly basis. Any school that participated in the program in August was eligible for a chance to win the promotion.
About Gavin DeGraw
Gavin DeGraw, a New York born singer/songwriter/pianist/guitarist, released his debut album Chariot on J Records, which featured 3 massive hit singles at radio, "I Don't Want To Be," "Chariot" and "Follow Through." Chariot introduced the world to a vital, magnetic young artist whose abundant talent and charisma originally drew hometown fans to his live shows. DeGraw is currently in the studio working on his follow up album.
