Bob's Kicks Off Annual Celebrate the Arts Contest

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 Bob's to Provide $35,000 in Cultural Grants to Seven Winning Schools

(Manchester, CT) August 10, 2009 – Bob's Discount Furniture, through its Bob’s Outreach program, announced today the launch of its annual Celebrate the Arts Contest.  In an effort to support and maintain dance, music and the arts in education, Bob's Outreach will award $35,000 in cultural grants to deserving schools throughout the Northeast.  One winning school with grades K-12 in each of the seven states where the company operates (CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, RI) will win a $5,000 grant to be used for cultural arts assemblies during the 2009-2010 school year.  

“Often times fine arts programs and cultural arts assemblies are the first to get cut or are missing completely from education programming," said Bob Kaufman, president and founder of Bob's Discount Furniture. "At Bob’s, we see the true value and importance of these programs in a child's education and know that this year, more than ever,  school systems desperately need funding to be able to bring in cultural arts programs.”

All schools serving grades K-12 within the seven states where Bob’s Discount Furniture operates are eligible to enter.  Contest entry takes place exclusively online at http://www.mybobs.com/celebrate_arts/  and consists of a brief questionnaire.  Anyone can complete the questionnaire on behalf of the school - whether it is a teacher, administrator, parent, student or community member.  There is no fee or purchase required to enter.  The contest will close on September 11, 2009. The seven winning schools will be notified and announced on September 21, 2009.

Bob’s Discount Furniture is dedicated to supporting the communities surrounding its stores through its Bob’s Outreach program.  Celebrate the Arts is one of two regional events held each year where Bob’s focuses money and efforts on a particular community need.  In addition to annual events, Bob’s Outreach program participates and supports ongoing activities – from community food drives, career mentoring, school visits and motivational speaking appearances to volunteering at soup kitchens, nursing homes and Habitat for Humanity.

For additional details on Celebrate the Arts and the Bob’s Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation, please visit www.mybobs.com.   

About Bob's Discount Furniture
Named the 2008 Furniture Retailer of the Year, with 33 stores located throughout New England, New Jersey and New York, Bob's Discount Furniture has built strong brand awareness and customer loyalty by providing quality furniture at everyday low prices, combined with a unique and enjoyable shopping experience. First-time visitors are pleasantly surprised by the comfortable atmosphere and vast selection of fashionable and affordable furniture that surpasses their "discount" expectations. As a part of the overall shopping experience, many locations have complimentary cafés featuring gourmet coffee, fresh baked cookies and candy, while other locations offer home theater and video arcade entertainment. For more information, visit www.mybobs.com.

About Bob's Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation
Through the Bob's Discount Furniture Charitable Foundation and Bob’s Outreach program, Bob Kaufman, Cathy Poulin and all of Bob's Discount Furniture employees support hundreds of nonprofit organizations with sponsorships and charitable contributions.  Among the many supported charities are Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Salvation Army, Marshall House Youth and Family Emergency Shelter, National Conference for Community Justice, American Red Cross and Connecticut Children's Medical Center.  For more information about the foundation and Bob's Discount Furniture, visit www.mybobs.com/charity.