OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwire - October 5, 2010) - Ace Hardware today announced the winners of its Helpful Hands campaign, a nationwide program awarding paint makeovers to one deserving high school in all 50 states. Partnering with its retailers across the country, Ace will be providing a $2,000 paint makeover to each of the selected high schools.
Ace developed the Helpful Hands campaign to give high schools the fresh start they need to create an engaging environment that stirs creativity, motivates learning and invigorates students and teachers. The campaign enables schools to discover that a new coat of paint adds more than just color; it marks a new beginning.
"We are excited to announce the winning high schools for our Helpful Hands campaign, a program that encourages community support and outreach to our nation's schools," said Lou Manfredini, Ace's home expert. "Often when the economy is down and budgets are cut, physical improvements to schools are overshadowed. In the face of this, it's Ace's goal to reestablish pride in our communities with a fresh coat of paint."
To kick off the nationwide campaign, Ace announced the Helpful Hands winners at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., followed by a paint makeover of the school's mezzanine art gallery led by Ace Hardware stores in D.C. The Helpful Hands winners are as follows:
- Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School - Montgomery, Alabama
- Bartlett High School - Anchorage, Alaska
- Maricopa High School - Maricopa, Arizona
- Concord High School - Concord, Arkansas
- Inglewood High School - Inglewood, California
- George Washington High School - Denver, Colorado
- Emmett O'Brien Technical High School - Ansonia, Connecticut
- Delcastle Technical High School - Wilmington, Delaware
- The Broach School - Jacksonville, Florida
- Druid Hills High School - Atlanta, Georgia
- Kalani High School - Honolulu, Hawaii
- Scism Alternative High School - Nampa, Idaho
- Josephinum Academy - Chicago, Illinois
- Arlington Community High School - Indianapolis, Indiana
- North High School - Des Moines, Iowa
- Wichita High School West - Wichita, Kansas
- Bullitt Central High School - Shepherdsville, Kentucky
- Slidell High School - Slidell, Louisiana
- Yarmouth High School - Yarmouth, Maine
- Baltimore City College High School - Baltimore, Maryland
- Phoenix Charter Academy - Chelsea, Massachusetts
- Carman-Ainsworth High School - Flint, Michigan
- Wadena-Deer Creek High School - Wadena, Minnesota
- Forest Hill High School - Jackson, Mississippi
- St. Joseph Academy - Saint Louis, Missouri
- Billings West High School - Billings, Montana
- Nebraska Christian Schools - Central City, Nebraska
- Basic High School - Henderson, Nevada
- Goffstown High School - Goffstown, New Hampshire
- Atlantic County Institute of Technology - Mays Landing, New Jersey
- Santa Fe High School - Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Academy of Mount St. Ursula - Bronx, New York
- Rosman High School - Rosman, North Carolina
- Rugby High School - Rugby, North Dakota
- Steubenville High School - Steubenville, Ohio
- Drumright High School - Drumright, Oklahoma
- Oregon School for the Deaf - Salem, Oregon
- Cedar Cliff High School - Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
- Warwick Veterans Memorial High School - Warwick, Rhode Island
- Wilson High School - Florence, South Carolina
- Rutland School - Rutland, South Dakota
- Westwood High School - Memphis, Tennessee
- Westfield High School - Houston, Texas
- Hurricane High School - Hurricane, Utah
- Canaan High School - Canaan, Vermont
- Fort Defiance High School - Fort Defiance, Virginia
- Prairie High School - Vancouver, Washington
- Wayne High School - Wayne, West Virginia
- Cambria-Friesland School District - Cambria, Wisconsin
- Jackson Hole High School - Jackson, Wyoming
Ace Paint, one of the top paint manufacturers in the United States and a division of Ace Hardware Corporation, will supply the paint for each project, along with product donations from local Ace retailers. In April 2010, Ace Paint introduced Royal Finest™, the world's only low-VOC paint with Scotchgard™ Protector. This unique paint offers consumers the opportunity to be environmentally responsible, while still providing ultimate stain resistance. In addition to Royal Finest, Ace Paint also offers Royal™ and Essence™ paint lines, all of which have achieved GREEN WISE® certification, which means that the paint has been tested and approved by Coatings Research Group, Inc., to meet stringent performance and environmental standards.
Ace issued a consumer call for nominations during the month of May in search of high schools in need of a makeover. The paint projects will be taking place throughout the 2010-2011 school year. To find out about the date of the high school makeover in your state and learn more about Ace's campaign, please visit www.acehardware.com/HelpfulHands. To learn more about Ace and Ace Paint, visit your neighborhood Ace Hardware store or go to www.acehardware.com.
About Ace Hardware
For more than 85 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the helpful hardware store by both customers and communities. In 2010, Ace ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Home Improvement Stores for the Fourth Consecutive Year," according to J.D. Power and Associates. With 4,500 locally owned and operated hardware, home center and building materials stores, Ace is the largest hardware cooperative in the industry. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace currently operates 14 distribution centers in the U.S. and one in Shanghai, China, and its retailers' stores are located in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. For more information on Ace, visit www.acehardware.com.
Contact Information:
Contact:
Marisa Hagerman
DBC PR+New Media
202/292-4570
ace@dbcpr.com
Christopher Boniface
Ace Hardware Corporation
630/990-6756
CBoni@acehardware.com