Media Advisory - Annual Start2Finish Backpacking Event Prepares Students for the Year Ahead

Students and volunteers pack over 7,500 backpacks for at-risk students across Canada

TORONTO, Aug. 18, 2014 /CNW/ - Each year Start2Finish and OfficeMax Grand & Toy provide vital school supplies to thousands of at-risk youth throughout Canada. The Start2Finish Backpack Program, in cooperation with school boards and local administrators, identifies children in need and equips them with the tools to help even the playing field and prepare them for a successful school year.

OfficeMax Grand & Toy, as well as volunteers and corporate sponsors, help Start2Finish make this initiative possible by donating time, supplies, and in-kind services.

Experiencing first-hand the positive effects of this initiative, Start2Finish scholarship recipients and program graduates will volunteer at this year's packing event in Toronto. A number of these students will be on hand to discuss how Start2Finish made a positive impact in their lives.

The Toronto packing event will be taking place:

Date:	Tuesday, August 19
Time:	9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Best time to capture visuals and onsite interviews will be from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)
Location:	OfficeMax Grand & Toy, 33 Green Belt Drive, Toronto, ON, M3C 1M1
On-site interviews:	Brian Warren, Executive Director and Founder, Start2Finish and two-time Grey Cup champion
	Marla Allan, Vice President of Human Resources, Office Max Grand & Toy
	Scholarship recipients, Start2Finish Pathway of Hope

NOTE: Photo opportunities at this event include VIP attendees and spokespeople, past scholarship recipients, and volunteers preparing backpacks.

About Start2Finish
Start2Finish is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to break the cycle of child poverty by providing ongoing educational support to Canada's at risk children through an innovative fitness and literacy model. Start2Finish is supported by donors and volunteers, and is sponsored by Wonder+, OfficeMax Grand & Toy, Scotiabank, George Weston Limited and TD Canada Trust. For more information on Start2Finish programs or volunteering please visit: www.start2finishonline.org.

About OfficeMax Grand & Toy
OfficeMax Grand & Toy is an affiliate of Office Depot, Inc. and a leading provider of workplace products and solutions serving business customers in Canada for over 130 years. From the latest technology, interiors and furniture, everyday office supplies and facility resources to a wide range of print and document services, we provide workplace innovation that enables our customers to work better.

SOURCE: OfficeMax Grand&Toy

Michelle Wray, Director of Volunteer and Community Relations, Start2Finish, [email protected], 1-888-320-8844 ext. 206; Jenny Maycock, Account Coordinator, Environics Communications, Inc. (for OfficeMax Grand & Toy), [email protected], 416-969-2718