A surgical stapling apparatus, comprising: a tool assembly having a cartridge assembly including a staple cartridge having a plurality of surgical fasteners therein, and an anvil assembly, at least one of the cartridge assembly and anvil assembly being movable in relation to the other of the cartridge assembly and anvil assembly; a surgical buttress releasably secured to a tissue contacting surface of at least one of an anvil plate of the anvil assembly and a staple cartridge of the cartridge assembly by an anchor, at least one of the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly includes a pair of distal recesses (70e, 82f), the anchor being disposed in the recesses; a release assembly associated with the cartridge assembly and supported in and near a distal end of the staple cartridge, characterised by the release assembly including an anchor bar pivotally connected to the staple cartridge including a body portion and a finger extending from an edge thereof and the finger being in operative registration with the distal pair of recesses of the cartridge assembly so as to engage the anchor, the release assembly having an actuation member pivotally connected to the anchor bar, the actuation member including a first substantially arcuate cam surface located along a proximal edge of the actuation member and extending across central longitudinal slot of staple cartridge, and a second eccentric cam surface extending distally and laterally from actuation member in close proximity to the distal pair of recesses, the actuation member further defining an aperture configured and dimensioned to receive a pin of the anchor bar therein so as to permit anchor bar and actuation member to pivot relative to one another; and a drive assembly slidably translatable through the tool assembly from a proximal position to a distal position, the drive assembly actuating the release assembly to release the anchor from the slot and to free the surgical buttress from the at least one of the anvil assembly and cartridge assembly. a tool assembly having a cartridge assembly including a staple cartridge having a plurality of surgical fasteners therein, and an anvil assembly, at least one of the cartridge assembly and anvil assembly being movable in relation to the other of the cartridge assembly and anvil assembly; a surgical buttress releasably secured to a tissue contacting surface of at least one of an anvil plate of the anvil assembly and a staple cartridge of the cartridge assembly by an anchor, at least one of the anvil assembly and the cartridge assembly includes a pair of distal recesses (70e, 82f), the anchor being disposed in the recesses; a release assembly associated with the cartridge assembly and supported in and near a distal end of the staple cartridge, characterised by the release assembly including an anchor bar pivotally connected to the staple cartridge including a body portion and a finger extending from an edge thereof and the finger being in operative registration with the distal pair of recesses of the cartridge assembly so as to engage the anchor, the release assembly having an actuation member pivotally connected to the anchor bar, the actuation member including a first substantially arcuate cam surface located along a proximal edge of the actuation member and extending across central longitudinal slot of staple cartridge, and a second eccentric cam surface extending distally and laterally from actuation member in close proximity to the distal pair of recesses, the actuation member further defining an aperture configured and dimensioned to receive a pin of the anchor bar therein so as to permit anchor bar and actuation member to pivot relative to one another; and a drive assembly slidably translatable through the tool assembly from a proximal position to a distal position, the drive assembly actuating the release assembly to release the anchor from the slot and to free the surgical buttress from the at least one of the anvil assembly and cartridge assembly.