Best Buy, the nation’s largest consumer electronics retailer, and Fisher House will be joining forces again this year to equip the national network of nearly 40 "homes away from home" for service members receiving medical care and their families with even more of the latest technology that will connect them with family and friends during hospital stays.
“We look forward to another fantastic year working with Best Buy,” said Fisher House Foundation President David A. Coker. “Without computers, Internet access, and even televisions, service members and their families can feel isolated and forgotten during an extremely stressful time. The help from Best Buy, its vendors and customers is vital to helping them all have a more normal day-to-day experience.”
From May 25 through June 14, Best Buy will launch a nationwide campaign of marketing, in-store signage and online advertising in order to generate support from customers, employees and partner vendors. Best Buy customers can donate to Fisher House at any Best Buy register during check-out, or anytime from the Best Buy website, www.bestbuy.com. Best Buy vendor partners, including Samsung, Toshiba, Gateway and LG are donating flat screen televisions, lap top computers and appliances to the campaign.
Best Buy employees will have hands-on volunteer involvement throughout the campaign. For example, Fisher House has been designated as this year’s Indy 500 charity, with proceeds from branded t-shirts and dog tags sold during race week benefiting the charity. Best Buy employees in Indianapolis will staff the sales areas during the race. Best Buy employees also will be on hand at the Fisher House in Richmond, Virginia in June to install new donated computers and appliances.
The Fisher House logo also will be featured on the Best Buy NASCAR car for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 25.
The Fisher House program began in 1990 when philanthropists and patriots Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher offered to build and donate to the government comfort homes on the grounds of military medical centers to permit service members to be close to their families during a hospitalization. The program at VA medical centers began later in 1994.
Today, the not-for-profit organization has 38 homes across the U.S., five more in construction, and has served 110,000 families, saving them more than $100M in lodging, food and transportation costs.
About Fisher House
Fisher House Foundation is best known for the network of 38 comfort homes on the grounds of military and VA major medical centers. The houses are 5,000 to 16,000 square foot homes, with up to 21 suites, donated to the military and VA by the Fisher House Foundation. The program provides support to families of patients receiving care at the nearby medical center and has ensured that families of service men and women wounded or injured in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom do not pay for their stay at a Fisher House or other base facility if they are on a wait list. For more information on the work of Fisher House Foundation, go to www.fisherhouse.org or call toll-free (888) 294-8560.
About Best Buy Co., Inc.
Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE:BBY) operates a global portfolio of brands with a commitment to growth and innovation. Best Buy’s employees strive to provide customers around the world with superior experiences by responding to their unique needs and aspirations. The company sells consumer electronics, home-office products, entertainment software, appliances and related services through more than 1,150 retail stores across the United States, throughout Canada and in China. Our multi-channel operations include: Best Buy (BestBuy.com, BestBuy.ca and BestBuy.com.cn), Future Shop (FutureShop.ca), Geek Squad (GeekSquad.com and GeekSquad.ca), Pacific Sales Kitchen and Bath Centers (PacificSales.com), Magnolia Audio Video (Magnoliaav.com) and Jiangsu Five Star Appliance Co. (Five-Star.cn). Best Buy supports the communities in which its employees work and live through volunteerism and grants that benefit children and education.
Contacts:
JWeiskopf@fisherhouse.org
or
Ann
Warren
ann@mpressionspr.com
770-328-8384
