BALTIMORE RAVENS' SAMARI ROLLE JOINS VOLUNTEERS FROM THE HOME DEPOT, KABOOM! AND THE DRUID HEIGHTS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO BUILD A PLAYGROUND FOR THE DRUID HEIGHTS COMMUNITY IN BALTIMORE
-- National Neighborhood MVP Program Honors Rolle for Giving Back to the Community –
WHO: Samari Rolle, cornerback for the Baltimore Ravens, along with volunteers from The Home Depot, organizers from the nonprofit KaBOOM! and members of the local community are joining forces to build an entire playground for the Druid Heights Community in just one day. This community playground project will provide a safe and fun place for students to play while promoting positive and healthy lifestyles. The project will also provide a valuable opportunity for the community to work together to improve the lives of the more than 100 children who live in the area.
The playground build is part of The Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP program that recognizes and celebrates NFL players for their commitment to giving back to their local communities. Rolle was one of 17 players selected league-wide for his work in founding the Rolle With Me Foundation, which provides helping hands to those in need. With funds raised through several annual events, the nonprofit organization purchases Thanksgiving dinners for families in need, provides equipment for youth athletic leagues and donates book bags and school supplies to underprivileged children in the Baltimore area.
The Home Depot developed the NFL Neighborhood MVP program as part of its ongoing commitment to give back to the communities its associates live and work in.
WHAT: Samari Rolle, cornerback, Baltimore Ravens
160 The Home Depot associate volunteers
50 Druid Heights Community Development Corporation and Baltimore area volunteers
WHERE: Druid Heights Community
2140 McCulloh St.
Baltimore, MD 21217
WHEN: Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008
8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers build playground
12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Interview opportunity with Samari Rolle
2 p.m. Board-cutting ceremony to open the new playground
CONTACT: For more information, please contact:
Allison Farr Craig Fishel
Manning Selvage & Lee The Home Depot
404-870-6856 (office), 404-932-3932 (mobile) 770-384-3512
allison.farr@mslpr.com craig_fishel@homedepot.com
BACKGROUND: The Home Depot became the "official home improvement sponsor" of the National Football League® in late 2006. To support this partnership, The Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP program was created to recognize players who are making a positive impact in their local communities. The program honors 17 NFL players, one for each week of the regular season, with a playground build in each player's honor. Each player will also receive a donation to the charity of his choice. At the end of the regular season, one player will be honored as The Home Depot NFL Neighborhood MVP.
As the world's largest home improvement retailer, The Home Depot embraces its role as a leader in social responsibility and celebrates its long-standing commitment to volunteerism. Through The Home Depot Foundation; Team Depot, the company's associate volunteer program; and ongoing partnerships with nonprofits, The Home Depot donates thousands of hours, tools and supplies each year to community service projects where associates live and work. KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization whose vision is to create a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America.
