Honda | Media Newsroom

Expanding their support for the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Honda and The Home Depot today announced that The Home Depot will be the official presenting sponsor of the 2011 Honda Battle of the Bands (www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com), a national music showcase and scholarship program that spotlights the amazing talents of student musicians at the nation's HBCUs.

Marking its ninth year, the Honda Battle of the Bands is the only national scholarship program that showcases an important facet of HBCU heritage and culture - music education. Throughout the fall, over 40 HBCU marching bands will compete in the Celebration Tour seeking a coveted spot as one of eight bands selected to attend the 2011 Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase, to be held January 29, 2011, in Atlanta, Georgia. Every school that participates in the Celebration Tour receives a $1,000 grant for their music programs, and the eight bands selected to participate in the Invitational Showcase are awarded an additional $20,000. In all, a total of $205,000 in scholarship grants are awarded every year to HBCU music programs, and since the program's inception, Honda has awarded in excess of $1 million in grants.

"The Home Depot is truly thrilled to support The Honda Battle of the Bands Celebration Tour and Invitational Showcase. We appreciate and honor the rich traditions of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States and our involvement just continues to build upon our commitment to HBCUs," says Melissa Brown, multicultural marketing manager for The Home Depot.

This year, The Home Depot also launched its "Retool Your School" grant program, which is designed to provide campus renovations and improvements to HBCUs nationwide. The program aligns The Home Depot's commitment to address the needs of the African American community through volunteerism, do-it-yourself expertise and monetary donations. "The Home Depot's "Retool Your School" program that we launched this year is an extension of our dedication and support of HBCUs and the overall African American community. We are proud of the renovation projects that we will support this year on 11 HBCU campuses which serves our primary goal of enhancing the lives of HBCU students," explains Brown.

"Honda and The Home Depot both have a longstanding commitment to the African-American community, and we are pleased to join forces to ensure that the HBCUs continue to provide opportunities to uniquely talented students," said Barbara Ponce, Manager of Corporate and Diversity Advertising for American Honda.

For more information on the Honda Battle of the Bands, including the Celebration Tour stops, participating institutions and ticket sales please visit www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com.

About The Home Depot
The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,244 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces, Mexico and China. In fiscal 2009, The Home Depot had sales of $66.2 billion and earnings from continuing operations of $2.6 billion. The Company employs more than 300,000 associates. The Home Depot's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index.

About Honda
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., was founded in 1959 as the U.S. sales and marketing subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Honda currently produces automobiles, motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, lawn mowers and engines at its eleven major U.S. manufacturing operations, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Honda has a long-standing commitment to the support and success of the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities that began more than 20 years ago with the establishment of the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, a program designed to showcase the academic gifts and prowess of HBCU students. American Honda established Honda Battle of the Bands nine years ago as an effort to support HBCU music programs.