During June, All Lowe's Stores to Serve as Official Cash Donation Sites for Disaster Relief

 In support of the work of the American Red Cross to help those preparing and recovering from natural disasters, Lowe's is proud to announce its 2005 in-store customer donation program to benefit American Red Cross disaster relief efforts. During the month of June, more than 1,100 Lowe's stores nationwide will serve as official cash donation sites to benefit local chapters across the country.

"Lowe's is a tremendously valued and committed partner of the American Red Cross. This relationship is critical to our ability to respond to our neighbors impacted by disasters, whether that's home fires, floods, tornadoes, wildfires or hurricanes," said Skip Seitz, Senior Vice President, Growth and Integrated Development for the American Red Cross. "Money raised through the Lowe's customer donation program will help the American Red Cross provide for people's basic needs -- food, shelter, and counseling during times of crisis."

Monies contributed during the annual donation program will support efforts of local Red Cross chapters across the country. During 2004 alone, Lowe's and its customers raised $1.5 million to assist American Red Cross efforts, including relief to the thousands impacted by the 2004 hurricanes that hit the southeastern United States. Lowe's has raised more than $7.5 million for the program over the past five years.

"We're proud of our partnership with the American Red Cross and the generous support of our customers each year during this donation drive," said Larry Stone, Lowe's senior executive vice president of operations. "As our business focuses on the places we call home, we're glad to continue to support the disaster relief efforts of the Red Cross, in assisting our neighbors rebuilding their lives after a disaster."

Lowe's works with both the national headquarters and local chapters of the American Red Cross each year on a variety of projects including hurricane fairs, product donation and volunteer support. For more information on ways to prepare your home and family for a disaster, please visit Lowes.com/hurricane and www.redcross.org.

ABOUT LOWE'S: Lowe's is a proud supporter of the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity International, United Way of America and the Home Safety Council, in addition to numerous non-profit organizations and programs that help communities across the country. Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation awards more than $3 million annually to diverse organizations across the United States. Lowe's also encourages volunteerism through the Lowe's Heroes program, a company-wide employee volunteer initiative. Lowe's is a FORTUNE(R) 50 company with fiscal year 2004 sales of $36.5 billion and has more than 1,100 stores in 48 states. For more information, visit Lowes.com/community.

ABOUT AMERICAN RED CROSS:

The American Red Cross is where people mobilize to help their neighbors -- across the street, across the country and across the world-in emergencies. Each year, in communities large and small, victims of some 70,000 disasters turn to neighbors familiar and new-the nearly 1 million volunteers and 35,000 employees of the Red Cross. Through almost 900 locally supported chapters, more than 15 million people gain the skills they need to prepare for and respond to emergencies in their homes, communities and world. Some 4 million people give blood-the gift of life-through the Red Cross, making it the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The Red Cross helps thousands of U.S. service members separated from their families by military duty stay connected. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, a global network of 181 national societies, the Red Cross helps restore hope and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work. Marsha J. Evans is the President and CEO of the American Red Cross.

Source: Lowe's Companies, Inc.

CONTACT: Chris Ahearn, +1-704-758-2304, or Chris.B.Ahearn@lowes.com, or
Jennifer Smith, +1-704-758-2298, or Jennifer.S.Smith@lowes.com, both of Lowe's
Companies, Inc.

Web site: http://www.redcross.org/

Web site: http://www.lowes.com/