Arthur Blank Family Foundation

ATLANTA, December 13, 2007 - The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation today announced it is awarding $1.2 million through its Inspiring Spaces initiative to the City of Atlanta to improve facilities at Rosa Burney and Arthur Langford parks in Southeast Atlanta. The grants add to redevelopment work recently undertaken by the Atlanta Housing Authority, City of Atlanta in both parks and surrounding areas.

With Blank funds, Atlanta's Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs will install an artistic pool fence, a central promenade with benches and a picnic gazebo to enhance safety and aesthetics in Rosa Burney Park, located in Mechanicsville. At Arthur Langford Park, a water play area will be installed, replacing a currently unused pool. Langford Park is located in the Joyland neighborhood.

"Healthy communities have safe, inviting parks that give families and individuals places to play, relax, enjoy nature and revive the spirit," Blank Foundation president Penelope McPhee said. "We are happy to partner with the City of Atlanta to create a network of great neighborhood parks and green spaces of which all Atlantans can be proud."

The Blank Foundation's Inspiring Spaces initiative aims to develop a system of great parks in Atlanta and increase park usership by supporting improved amenities in and greater access to parks, and by supporting community mobilization and public engagement in local parks. Working with city and county officials, civic and neighborhood associations and environmental groups, the Foundation has helped preserve more than 800 acres of land within metro Atlanta.

Formed in 1995, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is focused on improving early childhood development, enhancing education, preserving green space, sustaining the arts and sparking collaboration among its nonprofit partners, primarily in Atlanta.

Arthur M. Blank is owner & CEO of the Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Force. He co-founded The Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, in 1978 and retired from the company as co-chairman in 2001. Through his generosity, the foundation, along with Blank and his wife's personal giving, has granted over $220 million to various charitable organizations.