HGTV's Carter Oosterhouse and the Saints' Placekicker Garrett Hartley to Participate

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rebuilding Together, a Safe and Healthy Housing organization that believes Community Starts at Home, is hosting its 18th annual Kickoff to Rebuild event on February 1st in the Algiers neighborhood on the West Bank of New Orleans. Rebuilding Together and Lowe's will renovate 10 homes owned by low-income families.  Garrett Hartley, placekicker for the New Orleans Saints, is also planning to attend and participate.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090421/REBUILDINGLOGO)

The only Super Bowl-sanctioned charity event on the West Bank, Kickoff to Rebuild brings community volunteers, past and present NFL players, national celebrities and local leaders together to rebuild homes and revitalize communities.

"Providing volunteers and funding in New Orleans will help preserve affordable homeownership and revitalize the community, which are vital to the missions of both Lowe's and Rebuilding Together," said Marshall Croom, chairman of Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation. "This neighborhood revitalization is an investment in our future leaders and in the communities Lowe's calls home."

This year Rebuilding Together's Kickoff to Rebuild will feature three key components:

1. Rebuilding and Repairing Homes - Rebuilding Together and Lowe's Heroes will rehabilitate the homes of 10 families in Algiers. These families, due to a fixed income or disability, cannot afford the critical home repairs they desperately need. Two-hundred Rebuilding Together volunteers will ensure that each family can continue to live in a safe and healthy home.
2. Rebuilding Together is also partnering with Carter's Kids, a nonprofit organization founded by HGTV star Carter Oosterhouse, to build a new community playground.
3. This year features the first annual Toolbelts+Tailgates competition. Professional and amateur tailgate chefs will grill up their best recipes and feed the 200 Rebuilding Together and Lowe's volunteers rebuilding low-income homes. Local dignitaries and celebrities will pick one tailgate chef to receive the Championship Tool Belt.

The Robert Royal Foundation is also supporting these free critical home repairs.  Founded by Robert Royal, a former NFL player for the Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns, the Robert Royal Foundation raises awareness and fights against childhood obesity.

To find out more about Rebuilding Together's Kickoff to Rebuild event, visit http://rebuildingtogether.org/KTR2013. 

About Rebuilding Together:
Rebuilding Together is a Safe and Healthy Housing organization that believes Community Starts at Home. Our focus provides critical repairs, accessibility modifications and energy efficient upgrades to low-income homes and community centers at no cost to service recipients. Our impact extends beyond the individuals served to revitalize and stabilize vulnerable neighborhoods and communities across the country. Our 200 local affiliates complete 10,000 rebuild projects a year thanks to the efforts of nearly 200,000 volunteers from corporate partners, skilled trades professionals and everyday good citizens. Join us — visit www.RebuildingTogether.org.

About Lowe's:
Lowe's supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company's signature education grant program, Lowe's Toolbox for Education®, has donated nearly $5 million in grants to K-12 public schools every year since its inception in 2006. Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross. In 2011, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $32 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/SocialResponsibility.

SOURCE Rebuilding Together