(Fort Wayne, IN)—At the 2006 Do it Best October Market™, the co-op, its members, and its vendors continued their support of Habitat for Humanity, which was named the Do it Best Corp. cause of choice in 2004. At the conclusion of the Market, 14 Habitat for Humanity affiliates received $145,376 in product donations from 101 Do it Best Corp. vendors. The co-op’s vendors have now contributed nearly $1 million in products to Habitat affiliates since 2004.

The donated product will be used in the construction of homes and sold through the Habitat affiliates’ ReStores, which serve as a thrift-shop for reusable building materials and other hardware products. All profits from the ReStores go towards the funding of future Habitat builds.

In addition, a second annual Sunrise Auction of products from the Rental Zone netted nearly $13,000 in cash contributions to Habitat. The Rental Zone provided members who participate in the Do it Best Rental Center™ program with an opportunity to see new products and merchandising ideas. The products featured in the Sunrise Auction included tillers, hammer drills, aerial lifts, and backhoes used in Rental Zone product demonstrations. More than 50 registered bidders participated in the auction.

Habitat for Humanity of Morgan County, located in Martinsville, IN, has received donations at Do it Best Corp. Markets dating back to 2004. Bob Elliott, resources coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of Morgan County, says that these donations benefit his organization in a variety of ways. “We’ve been able to raise several thousands of dollars having this additional merchandise available. It has also helped our Home Store gain greater exposure in the community, since having a more diverse product line has increased our customer base. We very much appreciate the support we receive from Do it Best Corp., and we look forward to our continued relationship.”

In addition to the generous gifts from vendors, Penske Truck Rental provided free rentals of 24-foot trucks for all 14 affiliates, allowing them to transport the product to their communities at no cost. At the 2006 Do it Best May Market™, Penske Truck Rental also provided trucks for the affiliates who received gifts.

Dustin Kaehr, Do it Best Corp. retail programs coordinator, said the donor companies’ generosity reflects the co-op’s strong commitment to Habitat. “The vendors who contribute are dedicated to making the partnership between Do it Best Corp. and Habitat as meaningful and effective as possible. The end result of their contributions over the past two years is that Habitat can help more families realize the American dream of home ownership. We’re tremendously grateful for our vendors’ support.”

This year for the first time, a Michigan Habitat affiliate— Monroe County—received donations. The Indiana Habitat affiliates who benefited from the vendor contributions include Elkhart County, Fort Wayne, Hendricks County, Indianapolis, Lafayette, Morgan County, South Bend, Wabash Valley, and Warrick County. In Ohio, the Clinton County, Greater Cleveland, and Tri-State Habitat affiliates received donated product.

About Do it Best Corp.

Based in Fort Wayne, Ind., Do it Best Corp. is the only full-service, U.S.-based, member-owned hardware, lumber and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry. With annual sales of $3 billion, Do it Best Corp. is the second largest co-op in the industry, serving 4,100 member-retailers in the United States and in 45 foreign countries.

About Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity International is a Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing.  Founded in 1976, Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliates in more than 3,000 communities in 92 nations have built and sold more than 150,000 homes to partner families with no-profit, zero-interest mortgages.