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Kmart Kicks Off "KartWheels for Kids" Holiday Toy Drive

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 November 2006, 15:01 CST

ATLANTA, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- This holiday season, shopping at Kmart can help put a smile on a child's face -- especially the more than 4.6 million who attend Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050921/CLW030LOGO )

On November 19, Bill Stewart, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Kmart will join Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) President Roxanne Spillett to kick off "KartWheels for Kids," a national holiday toy drive sponsored by Kmart and its roughly 1,400 stores nationwide. This marks the first time the retailer has selected Boys & Girls Clubs as the beneficiary of its annual holiday toy drive.

Kmart will be supporting "KartWheels for Kids" through December 20. Customers will be encouraged to donate a new toy for a child attending a local Boys & Girls Club every time they visit a Kmart store. The retailer is hoping to drive extra donations with a series of print ads, in-store signage and on its website (http://www.kmart.com/).

"We are extremely grateful to Kmart for holding this toy drive," said Spilllett. "So many of the young people we serve would not be receiving a toy of their own for the holidays otherwise."

"Kmart is proud to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to make the holidays a little brighter for thousands of children," said Stewart. "This is a perfect opportunity to show our commitment to being a good neighbor and to building lifetime relationships with our customers."

Each week Boys & Girls Clubs in more than 4,000 communities will visit their neighborhood Kmart store to collect the toys donated by holiday shoppers. Based on previous toy drives and the generosity of shoppers, BGCA is hoping to receive a large number of toys.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (http://www.bgca.org/) comprises a national network of more than 3,900 neighborhood-based facilities annually serving some 4.6 million young people, primarily from disadvantaged circumstances. Known as "The Positive Place for Kids," Clubs provide guidance-oriented programs on a daily basis for children 6 -- 18 years old, conducted by a full-time professional staff. Key programs emphasize character and leadership development, educational enhancement, career preparation, health and life skills, the arts, and sports, fitness and recreation. National headquarters are located in Atlanta.

About Kmart

Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation, is a mass merchandising company that offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Thalia Sodi, Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, Martha Stewart Everyday and Route 66. For more information visit the company's website at http://www.kmart.com/ or the Sears Holding Corporation website at http://www.searsholding.com/.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050921/CLW030LOGOAP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

CONTACT: Jan Still-Lindeman of Boys & Girls Clubs of America,+1-404-487-5730, or jslindeman@bgca.org

Web site: http://www.bgca.org/http://www.kmart.com/http://www.searsholding.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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