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Beautification

Retool Your School (Home Depot)

After a hard-fought battle by Alabama A&M University supporters, the school secured more than 200,000 votes during a nearly two-monthlong Home Depot “Retool Your School” contest for 2012. The valiant effort among the nation’s historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) netted AAMU the $25,000 Campus Pride Grant.

AAMU won the grant owing to its massive popular vote, its grant proposal and the vote of Home Depot advisory board members. The grand prize of the contest was a $50,000 award for the first place designee.

Home Depot, a major home improvement chain, sponsors the annual “Retool” contest calling for HBCUs to create innovative proposals aimed at achieving significant campus improvement and beautification.

“We are grateful to the entire AAMU family for making our participation in the Home Depot contest a major success,” commented Dr. Andrew Hugine, Jr., president of AAMU. “This grant would not have been possible without the collaborative efforts from students, staff, faculty, alumni, friends and relatives.”

Hugine also praised the efforts of Dr. Barbara Cady, who spearheaded the development of A&M’s grant proposal and public awareness drive, as well as First Lady Abbiegail Hugine. Mrs. Hugine heads the Bulldog Pride Committee, which encompasses campus beautification projects, along with the Home Depot campus campaign.

Home Depot offered contest winners three categories of prizes at the $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 levels. Participating schools had to submit three projects at the various prize levels. AAMU’s grant was used to further revitalize the R.D. Morrison Fine Arts Building for ADA compliance, along with improved external landscaping and internal painting.