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Best Buy and GRAMMY Foundation Launch Be The Next Initiative Through Best Buy Mobile, @15 and Club BeatsMINNEAPOLIS --(Business Wire)-- Best Buy and the GRAMMY Foundation® have joined together to launch the "Be The Next" initiative; an innovative partnership joining the corporate resources and relationships of the leading consumer electronics retailer with the established music education programs and initiatives of the nonprofit organization of The Recording Academy®. The "Be The Next" initiative will expand on GRAMMY Foundation's support of music education by leveraging Best Buy's philanthropic @15 platform, Club Beats and Best Buy Mobile resources. Through these programs, Best Buy will pledge up to $1 million in funds to at-risk music education programs in schools across the country. @15 is committed to helping teens find their spark and pursue their passions in life. This commitment will be further realized through support for cash awards to selected schools distributed through GRAMMY Foundation's GRAMMY® Signature Schools program and its Enterprise Award designation. Created in 1998, the GRAMMY Signature Schools program recognizes top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year. The program's Enterprise Award recognizes efforts made by schools that are economically underserved. "This kind of partnership provides a model for the positive change that can be effected when charities and commerce join forces," said GRAMMY Foundation and Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. "This initiative will allow the GRAMMY Foundation to significantly broaden the reach of our GRAMMY Signature Schools program, and it will help to draw attention to the critical arts funding needs of schools across the U.S. We are truly honored to be working with Best Buy on this initiative." In addition, with each new Best Buy Mobile store opening in FY2011, the "Be The Next" initiative will donate $2,500 to a local schools' music education program, further enhancing the impact Best Buy stores bring to their local communities. "Our commitment to the music industry goes beyond just the products we sell in our stores and comes with a responsibility to support and enhance music education programs," said Barry Judge, Chief Marketing Officer for Best Buy. "Best Buy has been a long time advocate and proud partner of GRAMMY Foundation, and we are excited at the opportunity to further support their mission through "Be The Next". About Best Buy Co., Inc. With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China and Mexico, 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 $45 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; The Phone (News - Alert) House; and Speakeasy. Approximately 155,000 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 2009, we donated a combined $33.4 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com. About @15 Best Buy believes in the power of teens, and @15 is a platform to connect with them, give voice to their perspectives, and invest our resources including the energy and talents of our employees to turn their ideas into action and support their efforts to lead social change. Teens bring passion and enthusiasm to tackling tough issues. They are also important to our business they shop in our stores, and they're our future employees. There's a real opportunity to listen to and learn from what teens have to say. And through the @15 Fund, we'll put the philanthropic power of @15 directly into their hands. To learn more, visit www.at15.com About the GRAMMY Foundation The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture from the artistic and technical legends of the past to the still unimagined musical breakthroughs of future generations of music professionals. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. Campbell's Labels For Education program is proud to be the official education partner of the GRAMMY In The Schools programs. For more information, please visit www.grammyintheschools.com. |
