RICHMOND, Va. (November, 11 2008)-CarMax, Inc. (NYSE: KMX), the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, announced today that the CarMax Foundation has awarded grants to five Orange County, California organizations as part of the Foundation’s Regional Giving Program.

The Los Angeles Regional Grants include:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County - $5,000 for the School-Based Mentoring Program, which is currently at 12 Orange County schools. This mentoring program reaches out to elementary-aged children who may not otherwise have access to much needed tutors and mentors. Adults and high school students have a chance to bond with these children and provide encouragement to build relationships and stay focused on education.
• Boys Hope Girls Hope (BHGH) of Southern California - $5,000 for the College Bound Program. BHGH works with motivated young people who come from difficult circumstances like homelessness, abuse, and neglect. The organization provides a safe home environment based on integrity, honesty, and a dedication to education through the scholars’ college years. The funded program provides live-in and professional tutors, as well as providing financial support as the students get their college education.
• Camp Fire USA, Orange County Council - $5,000 for the Acceleration to the Future Program. High school students have the opportunity to do an assessment of their community to see what social needs exist, plan and implement a service project that will address a particular need, and finally celebrate their experiences. This program teaches young people empathy for others, self worth, and a sense of pride in their community. The participating students will also have a more positive outlook on their own futures as well as that of their own neighborhoods.
• THINK Together - $5,000 for the Literacy Coach Program, which was started in 2003 to help elementary-aged students to speak, read, and build an effective English vocabulary. Many of the children served by this program come from families who struggle financially and also a majority of the participating students have a lack of language skills which prevents them from successfully performing in a mainstream classroom with other children their age.
• Volunteer Center of Orange County - $5,000 for the Teen Summit 2009. This summit is a part of the Volunteer Center’s goal of developing the next generation of community leaders by fostering a lifetime ethic of civic responsibility beginning at a very young age. The teens involved in the summit will become more engaged in their communities, come up with ways to handle challenges within their neighborhood, and discover volunteer opportunities that will give them a chance to practice leadership and good citizenship.

“These organizations will assist countless children and teens in the Los Angeles area with their great educational programs,” said Mark Simmons, Los Angeles Regional Giving Committee chairperson and CarMax purchasing manager in San Diego, California. “The CarMax Foundation is thrilled to support organizations that recognize the importance of education and provide opportunities that area youth may not otherwise have.”

These grants are just a part of the Los Angeles region’s total of $100,000 donated to local organizations this year. The CarMax Foundation’s Regional Giving Program reinforces CarMax's commitment to funding programs that improve the communities where our associates live and work. The Regional Giving Program provides grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations that have programs focused on education and youth leadership. Each of CarMax’s eight regions will grant up to $100,000, totaling $800,000 in grants nationwide this fiscal year. CarMax associates working within each of the regions select the local organizations to recommend for grants.

About the CarMax Foundation

The CarMax Foundation’s Regional Funding Program is designed to enrich the communities where our associates live and work. The Foundation is supported by CarMax and The CarMax Foundation funding programs are made available through a percentage of CarMax, Inc.’s net income from the prior fiscal year. CarMax is a FORTUNE 500 company and one of the FORTUNE 2008 “100 Best Companies to Work For.” Headquartered in Richmond, Va., CarMax is the nation’s largest retailer of used cars and currently operates 99 used car superstores in 46 markets. CarMax provides consumers a transparent buying process based on low, no-haggle prices, a broad selection, high quality vehicles, and customer-friendly service. During the twelve months ended February 29, 2008, the company retailed 377,244 used vehicles and sold 222,406 wholesale vehicles at its in-store auctions. For more information on The CarMax Foundation, visit http://www.carmaxcares.com/.

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