MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) and Best Buy Children’s Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the consumer electronics retailer, today announced a $1 million donation to the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation. The funds will support both the national memorial honoring Dr. King and Kids for King, an educational outreach initiative designed to inspire youth to further Dr. King’s vision and mission. The memorial, located on the National Mall in Washington D.C., is scheduled to be dedicated on Aug. 28.
“It’s truly an honor for Best Buy to help commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” said Brian J. Dunn, CEO of Best Buy. “We are particularly excited by the Kids for King programming which gives today’s youth, and future generations, access to Dr. King’s powerful story and inspires them to live by his example of service, peace and equality.”
“We are extremely grateful for Best Buy’s generous million dollar gift, which will help support the completion of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and support our Kids for King program. I am glad to welcome the multinational retailer to our family of donors helping to build this important memorial honoring Dr. King,” said Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President and CEO of the Memorial Foundation.
In an effort to engage the larger Twin Cities community, Best Buy will host a Minnesota Dream Luncheon on May 10. The event will provide a forum for Minnesotans to come together and celebrate the international effort honoring Dr. King as well as continue fundraising in support of the memorial. Attendees of the Dream Event will include Minnesota’s political, religious and community leaders as well as local citizens. More information to come.
About Best Buy Co., Inc.
With operations in the United
States, Canada, Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey, Best Buy is a
multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and
services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family
of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $49 billion
in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Best Buy Mobile;
Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu
Five Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; and The Phone
House. Approximately 180,000 employees apply their talents to help bring
the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail
locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions,
product delivery and activities in our communities. Community
partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal
2010, we donated a combined $25.2 million to improve the vitality of the
communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more
information about Best Buy, visit www.bby.com
About Best Buy Community Relations
As a Company, and through
our Best
Buy Children’s Foundation, we work with nonprofit organizations to
support programs that provide opportunities for youth. Our goal is to
provide positive experiences that will help them to excel in school,
engage in their communities, and develop leadership skills. We also
support national organizations that provide essential social services,
such as the United Way and American Red Cross, to improve the vitality
of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. We
know that each community where we operate is unique. That's why we
created a community grants program allowing Territory teams to decide
how Best Buy Children's Foundation funds are used to impact their local
area. The company also encourages local volunteerism by providing
charitable gifts to organizations where employees volunteer.
About the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial
Project Foundation, Inc.
A Memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. will be built on the National Mall, situated adjacent to the
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial and in a direct line between the
Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials. Congress passed Joint Resolutions in
1996 authorizing Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to establish a
Memorial honoring Dr. King to be built in Washington, D.C. The
ceremonial groundbreaking took place on November 13, 2006, and the
Memorial will be completed in 2011. McKissack & McKissack / Turner
Construction Company/ Gilford Corporation / Tompkins Builders, Inc.
Joint Venture will serve as the Design-Build Team. McKissack & McKissack
is the oldest minority-owned architectural firm in the United States.
For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.buildthedream.org.
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