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Staples Makes Shopping Easy: Retailer Teams with Tennis Great Jim Courier to Provide Free School Supplies to Students

BOSTON — Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS) and Tennis Hall of Famer Jim Courier teamed up today to make it “easy” for 20 students to purchase school supplies with an exciting shopping spree at the Staples Brighton location. Staples and Courier provided each of the students, who participate in Tenacity’s after-school tennis program, with a $100 Staples gift card to purchase much-needed school supplies. Tenacity, the tournament’s official charity partner, is a premier youth development program in Boston.

Courier, who will compete in the third annual Champions Cup Boston tennis tournament April 30-May 4 at Boston University’s Agganis Arena, joined Staples CEO Ron Sargent in helping students pick out school supplies and check-out at the register. Tenacity President and Founder Ned Eames was also on hand helping the students shop, and accepted an additional $1,000 donation to Tenacity from Staples.

“It is our privilege to be involved in today’s shopping spree alongside our Champions Cup Boston corporate sponsor, Staples,” said Courier, Co-Founder of InsideOut Sports & Entertainment and the Outback Champions Series. “Staples’ leadership in the Boston community is matched by Tenacity’s commitment to positively impact the lives of thousands of area children annually and we couldn’t be more pleased to work together.”

“Charitable organizations that make a difference for today’s youth are central to Staples’ philanthropic mission,” said Sargent. “We are proud to show our support for Champions Cup Boston and its charity partner, Tenacity.”

“Giving children the chance to obtain school supplies at no cost is another great benefit of Tenacity’s partnership with Champions Cup Boston,” said Eames. “We are grateful for the contribution that Staples has made to each student and for the $1,000 donation they made to our organization. Jim Courier and Staples’ generosity will have an immediate impact on our kids, who will use these valuable educational tools - notebooks, pens and pencils - to learn more effectively and guide them along the right path to fulfill their dreams.”

Tickets for Champions Cup Boston start at just $15 and are available now at ChampionsSeriesTennis.com or by calling (617) 931-2000.

InsideOut Sports & Entertainment announced last month the return of tournament tennis to Boston with the third annual Champions Cup Boston. Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras, seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe, four-time Grand Slam champion Courier and Australian and US Open finalist Todd Martin will join four more tennis greats as they vie for the title and $150,000 in prize money at Agganis Arena April 30-May 4, 2008. Sampras will defend his Champions Cup title where, one year ago, he came out of retirement to defeat Todd Martin in a hotly contested final where he saved three match points. McEnroe finished in third place.

Boston is the third tournament on the 2008 Outback Champions Series, a collection of men’s tennis events in the United States and abroad featuring some of the greatest names in the sport over the age of 30.

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 the Outback Champions Series
Founded in 2005, the 2008 Outback Champions Series features eight events where champion tennis players continue to exercise their competitive instincts in tournament formats which feature prize money and Champions Series ranking points to determine the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1 player. In 2008, the year-end Stanford Champions Rankings No. 1 will also receive a $100,000 cash bonus. To be eligible to compete on the Outback Champions Series, players must have reached either a Grand Slam singles final, been ranked in the top five in the world or played singles on a championship Davis Cup team. Each event also has the right to choose a “wild card” entrant.

About InsideOut Sports & Entertainment
InsideOut Sports & Entertainment is a New York City-based independent producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Outback Champions Series, a collection of tennis events featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including one-night “Legendary Night” exhibitions as well as corporate outings, charity events and tennis fantasy camps, including the annual Ultimate Fantasy Camp. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com.

About Tenacity
Tenacity is one of the premier youth development programs in the City of Boston offering both after-school and summer programming that combines tennis, literacy and life skills to help youth develop the skills and self-confidence they need to succeed in life. Tenacity’s After-School Excellence Program currently partners with eight middle schools in Boston to provide intensive after-school services for 210 students. The Summer Tennis & Reading Program operates at 28 neighborhood sites throughout the city and more than 4,500 Boston youth participate.

Posted on March 24, 2008
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