CONTACT:
Sears Public Relations And Communications
(847) 286-8371
Heroes at Home(sm) Wish Registry Available to All Active Military Personnel Through October 31
Sears continues its unwavering commitment to the military by fulfilling all
Servicepersons' wishes this holiday season
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Oct. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of its
unwavering commitment to the men, women and families of the U.S. armed
forces, Sears Holdings Corporation is pleased to extend the deadline of the
Heroes at Home Wish Registry(sm) to Friday, October 31 and encourages all
active military personnel to apply. In consultation with the U.S.
Department of Defense, Sears is pleased to extend the popular program that
enables America to fulfill wishes for up to 20,000 deserving military
families and personnel this holiday season. Through this offering, Sears is
continuing its long-standing tradition of support of the military whose
sacrifices deserve much recognition.
The first 20,000 service members who apply and can be validated with an
active duty military status can become part of the Wish Registry. Active
service personnel who participate in the Heroes at Home Wish Registry will
remain anonymous to ensure compliance with the military's standards of
conduct regulations. Ultimately, all 20,000 registrants will be granted
Sears gift cards in equal amounts, which will be determined based on the
number of entries and donations. The gift card denominations will not
exceed $550.
"Since 1916, Sears has been committed to America's service men and
women with programs to employ veterans and reserve pay differential and
benefits for full-time associates called up for active duty," said Don
Hamblen, Chief Marketing Officer, Sears. "Last year, Sears launched Heroes
at Home to help military personnel renovate and rebuild their homes. Today,
we are pleased to expand the Heroes at Home Wish Registry to incorporate
elements to make the wishes of our military come true for the holidays and
enable our customers to provide a direct 'thank you' to members of the
military."
Sears created the Wish Registry specifically to help identify heroes
both domestically and overseas to show thanks for their service this
holiday season. Sears partnered with the USO to help communicate the Wish
Registry to military members, and will be making a $250,000 donation to
support USO programs and services around the world. Military personnel can
log on to http://www.sears.com/wish through October 31 to apply for the Wish
Registry. Between November 2 and December 25, 2008, Sears will invite
America to help fulfill their wishes with a Sears Gift Card.
Bill Kiss, Divisional Vice President Program Development said, "The
Heroes at Home Wish Registry allows us to connect with the military
community on a very personal level, and gives Americans the opportunity to
fulfill their wishes. It's an extremely powerful program, with the
potential to produce extremely meaningful results."
The Heroes at Home Wish Registry, one of Sears Holdings Corporations'
multiple programs supporting the military and their families, enables
Sears' customers to thank America's military heroes for the sacrifices they
make for our country. However, the program starts with the Sears family,
not just their customers. The first donations the registry received were
from Sears associates, senior executives, and vendors featured at the
retailer.
The Heroes at Home program also provides support to service members,
veterans and their families through joint efforts with various nonprofit
organizations, including Rebuilding Together, Inc. Sears Holdings has
spearheaded nationwide fundraising efforts in the spring and holiday
seasons over the past year and has raised more than $5 million through the
Heroes at Home program for Rebuilding Together.
Sears has actively supported this country's servicemen and women with
pride and respect since the company was founded more than a century ago.
Each year Sears matches reservists pay and benefits while they are serving.
In 2005, Sears Holdings received the Secretary of Defense Employer Support
Freedom Award, which publicly recognizes American employers who provide
exceptional support to their employees who voluntarily serve the nation in
the National Guard and Reserve. In 2006, Sears Holdings also was honored
with the Military Officers Association of America's Distinguished Service
Award, in recognition of the company's support of associates in the Guard
and Reserve and military families nationwide.
To find out more about the Heroes at Home program, or to refer a
military family or veteran to the home renovation program through
Rebuilding Together, visit http://www.sears.com or call 1-800-473-4229. Sears
Holdings' ongoing commitment to assisting troops and their families
includes several recruiting and employment programs, as well as a military
pay differential to Sears associates employed (full time) who are
reservists serving on active duty. Reservists who are employed full-time
are allowed to continue participating in life insurance, medical and dental
programs.
About Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation (Nasdaq: SHLD) is the nation's fourth
largest broadline retailer with over $50 billion in annual revenues and
approximately 3,800 full-line and specialty retail stores in the United
States and Canada. Sears Holdings is the leading home appliance retailer as
well as a leader in tools, lawn and garden, home electronics and automotive
repair and maintenance. Key proprietary brands include Kenmore, Craftsman
and DieHard, and a broad apparel offering, including such well-known labels
as Lands' End, Jaclyn Smith and Joe Boxer, as well as the Apostrophe and
Covington brands. It also has Martha Stewart Everyday products, which are
offered exclusively in the U.S. by Kmart and in Canada by Sears Canada. The
company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than
13 million service calls made annually. For more information, visit Sears
Holdings' website at http://www.searsholdings.com.
About Rebuilding Together
Rebuilding Together is the nation's largest nonprofit organization
working to preserve homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods by providing
free home repair and modification services to those in need. With the help
of everyday citizen volunteers, skilled trades people, the support of local
business and major corporate partners, Rebuilding Together affiliates in
America's largest cities and smallest towns make life considerably better
for thousands of low-income homeowners. Beyond its core home repair work,
Rebuilding Together also rehabilitates community centers and conducts home
modification and repair programs that focus on aging in place. In addition,
Rebuilding Together has programs dedicated to energy efficiency, veteran's
housing, and disaster recovery and reconstruction. Rebuilding Together is
currently celebrating 20 years as a national organization and the
completion of over 100,000 homes thanks to the efforts of more than 200
affiliates nationwide. For more information, visit
http://www.RebuildingTogether.org.
About the USO
The USO (United Service Organizations) provides morale, welfare and
recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The
USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of
the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is
supported by individual donors, Worldwide Strategic Partners and Combined
Federal Campaign (CFC-11381). For more information, please visit our Web
site at http://www.uso.org.
SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation
Web site: http://www.sears.com/wish http://www.sears.com
http://www.searsholdings.com http://www.RebuildingTogether.org
http://www.uso.org
CONTACT: Dorothea Zinnanti, Euro RSCG Worldwide PR,
+1-212-367-6938, dorothea.zinnanti@eurorscg.com
