Staples Announces Donations of More than $400,000 to Greater Boston Charitable Organizations

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS), the world's largest office products
company and Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc, a private foundation
created by Staples, today announced charitable donations to 85 New
England nonprofit organizations as part of its ongoing commitment to
giving back to the communities where its customers and associates live
and work.

Staples will make a $50,000 contribution to Citizens Energy
Corporation's Oil Heat Fund, which provides free heating oil to
low-income and elderly households in Massachusetts through local
community fuel assistance programs. Since 2004, Staples has donated a
total of $155,000 to Citizens Energy.

In addition to awarding foundation grants, Staples, Inc. also
supports local events held by Boston-based nonprofit organizations to
celebrate and raise awareness of their work in the community. This
spring, Staples donated more than $200,000 to support Boston nonprofit
events for the following organizations:

Boston Public Library Foundation; Boston Symphony Orchestra; Boys
& Girls Clubs of Boston; Dress for Success; Facing History and
Ourselves; Franciscan Hospital for Children; hopeFound; Inner City
Scholarship Fund; John F. Kennedy Library Foundation; Junior
Achievement of Boston; Mass Mentoring Partnership; Massachusetts
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; Morgan Memorial
Goodwill Industries; Museum of Fine Arts; Special Olympics of
Massachusetts

Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc. has awarded grants totaling
$168,500 to 69 nonprofit organizations throughout New England in
support of local youth. For the fourth consecutive year, Staples
invited associates in their Framingham headquarters to nominate their
favorite organizations to receive funding from the foundation. These
organizations provide youth with programs focused on academic
achievement, job skills and diversity.

"Nonprofit organizations that support the growth and achievement
of youth are critical to the future of New England," said Paul
Capelli, vice president, Staples, Inc. "As a company headquartered in
Massachusetts, Staples is committed to giving back to organizations in
our own backyard that prepare local youth to be tomorrow's leaders."

Organizations receiving grants of $3,500 to $15,000 include:

-- Artists for Humanity, Boston, MA --- $10,000 to Youth Run Arts
Micro-Enterprise, which enables youth to gain artistic and job
skills through the production of sculptures and design
projects.

-- Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston, MA --- $15,000 to Young
Leaders, which helps youth gain leadership, community service
and job skills.

-- Cradles to Crayons, Quincy, MA --- $10,000 to Ready for
School, which provides homeless and needy children with basic
school supplies.

-- Horizons for Homeless Children, Boston, MA --- $10,000 to
Community Children's Centers, which provides homeless children
and their parents with support services.

-- Junior Achievement of Eastern Massachusetts, Boston, MA ---
$10,000 to After-School Financial Literacy Education, which
teaches disadvantaged youth about entrepreneurship and
financial management.

-- Sudbury Valley Trustees, Sudbury, MA --- $10,000 to the Youth
Conservation Steward Program, which enables youth to develop
their leadership, academic and environmental stewardship
skills.

-- Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, Williamstown, MA ---
$3,500 to an environmental program that provides elementary
students with instruction on wildlife, ecology and natural
landscapes.

In addition, each of the following organizations has received a
$1,500 donation:

America SCORES New England; Angle Tree District BSA; Beautiful
Beginnings Child Care Center; Becket-Chimney Corners YMCA; Big
Brothers Big Sisters Central Massachusetts/Metrowest, Inc; Big
Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay; Big Sister Association of
Greater Boston; Bikes Not Bombs; Billy Dalwin Preschool of Temple
Emunah; Blackstone Millville Youth Soccer Organization; Boston Trinity
Academy; Boy Scouts of America- Troop 80 High Adventure Crew; Boys &
Girls Club of Webster-Dudley; Boys & Girls Club of Woburn; Brandon
Residential; Carroll Center for the Blind; Cathy Gray Memorial Fund,
Inc; Century Chinese Language School; Challenge Unlimited at Ironstone
Farm; City Year Boston; Criterion Heritage Early Intervention Program;
Duxbury Educational Foundation; Easter Seals of Massachusetts;
Framingham High School Foundation; Franciscan Hospital for Children;
Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network of Boston; Girl Scouts of Rhode
Island; Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts, Inc.; Hale
Reservation; Hopkinton Education Foundation; House of Peace &
Education, Inc.; Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Boston;
Jewish Community Relations Council; Medfield Afterschool Program;
Melrose Sharing and Caring; MetroLacrosse; MY TURN, Inc.; Natick
Community Organic Farm; Notre Dame Education Center; PAL Worcester;
Pathways for Children; Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc.;
Rehobeth Youth Baseball and Softball Association (R.Y.B.S.A); Ride
With Pride, Inc.; Samantha's Harvest; School on Wheels of
Massachusetts, Inc.; Shirley Educational Foundation; Shrewsbury
Education Foundation; Southern Middlesex Opportunity Council; Strong
Women, Strong Girls; Taunton Early Prevention Program; The Center for
Teen Empowerment, Inc.; The Drama-Play Connection, Inc.; The New
England Center for Children, Inc.; The Uria and Johanna Manfreda
Fishbein WSO Children's Concert; Volunteers in Providence Schools
(VIPS); WARM2Kids; Westborough Area Jewish Community Center;
Westborough Community Land Trust; Winthrop Improvement and Historical
Association; Worcester Community Mediation Center; Year Up

About Staples

Staples, Inc. invented the office superstore concept in 1986 and
today is the world's largest office products company. With 76,000
talented associates, the company is committed to making it easy to buy
a wide range of office products, including supplies, technology,
furniture, and business services. With 2007 sales of $19.4 billion,
Staples serves consumers and businesses ranging from home-based
businesses to Fortune 500 companies in 22 countries throughout North
and South America, Europe and Asia. Headquartered outside of Boston,
Staples operates more than 2,000 office superstores and also serves
its customers through mail order catalog, e-commerce and contract
businesses. More information is available at www.staples.com.

About Staples Foundation for Learning

The mission of Staples Foundation for Learning, Inc. is to teach,
train and inspire. Founded in 2002, the foundation has contributed
more than $12 million to national and local charities that provide
educational opportunities and job skills for all people, with a
special emphasis on disadvantaged youth. Staples Foundation for
Learning has also developed lasting relationships with Boys & Girls
Clubs of America, Earth Force, Hispanic Heritage Foundation and
the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. In addition, Staples
Foundation for Learning supports Ashoka, an organization that develops
and supports social entrepreneurs around the world, in eight
countries: Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Spain
and the United States. For more information about the foundation or
how to apply for a grant, please visit www.staplesfoundation.org.

For Staples, Inc.
Eva Pereira, 781-559-0424
Eva.Pereira@rfbinder.com
or
Briana Curran, 508-253-0203
Briana.Curran@staples.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008