Pasadena, Calif. - Avery Dennison's earliest innovations began in the midst of the Great Depression when young inventor Stan Avery created the world's first self-adhesive labels in a tiny loft in Los Angeles. Seventy-five years later, the international brand is celebrating a milestone anniversary with the Avery Dennison Give Back to Schools donation program.

Created as a way to give back to the communities that have made the Company's success possible, the new program will provide 10 very deserving U.S. schools with Avery premium school supplies. To enter to win, students, families and supporters (ages 18 and older) can vote for their local K-8 school beginning today at http://www.AveryDennisonGiveBacktoSchools.com. At the conclusion of the contest on August 31, the 10 schools with the highest number of votes will each win a truckload of Avery-brand school supplies valued at approximately $10,000.

"Avery Dennison is committed to working with parents and teachers across America to help students get the highest-quality education, and school supplies are vital to this success," says Tim Bond, group vice president, Avery Dennison Office Products. "We are thrilled to be able to give back to the communities that have supported us, especially during an economic time when so many schools are in great need."

Although anticipated expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools for the 2009--10 school year (National Center for Educational Statistics) are an estimated $540 billion, thousands of teachers and children often go without the most basic school supplies because of budget cutbacks. Studies by non-profit organization World Vision show that teachers spend, on average, at least $500 of their own money each school year to provide supplies for their students.

The Avery Dennison Give Back to Schools program is one of the ways the company supports its belief that a solid education is the cornerstone of a strong community. To enable children to receive the education that they need and deserve, Avery Dennison provides financial and in-kind support to children, teachers and schools through programs such as Box Tops for Education. In 2009, Avery Dennison's partnership with Box Tops for Education earned more than $250,000 for schools throughout the country.