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Sears Kicks Off Holiday Fundraiser to Grant Wishes for Military Families

Joint effort with Rebuilding Together to improve lives of military families
                                  at home

    HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears customers will be
able to turn their shopping into dreams come true for military families and
veterans. In celebration of Veterans Day, the retailer will launch a
fund-raising effort in stores and online to benefit Heroes at Home(SM), a
charitable program created in association with the nation's leading
non-profit home rehabilitation organization, Rebuilding Together. Through
Heroes at Home, the retailer seeks to improve the lives of military
families and veterans in need across America by making necessary repairs,
improvements or modifications to their homes.
    From November 9 through December 28, Sears customers will be able to
participate in this initiative by using their Sears card or purchasing a
Sears gift card. Sears will make a donation to Heroes at Home for every
credit card purchase made at any of its Sears stores from November 9 to
December 28 up to $1 million, and for every gift card purchased during that
time up to $100,000. Customers can also make a donation at registers or
online at sears.com. Over the summer, Heroes at Home raised more than $1.3
million, which will go to help more than 100 military families in need
across America by making necessary repairs, improvements or modifications
to their homes.
    "We are proud to be partnering with Rebuilding Together to support
families through this important initiative," said Aylwin B. Lewis, chief
executive officer and president of Sears Holdings Corporation. "Sears has a
longstanding commitment to the heroic men and women who serve in the
military. We hope our customers will take this opportunity to help grant
wishes for military families and veterans while they shop our stores."
    The November 9 kick-off
    The Veteran's Day Heroes at Home effort will kick off on November 9
during an event to honor Sgt. Jonathan VanderWert of New Prague, Minn. In
order to save money, the VanderWerts moved into a dilapidated home in need
of major repair and remodeling with their nine children. However, in August
of 2007, their plans to fix the home were put on hold when Sgt. VanderWert
was called into active duty with the Minnesota National Guard to serve a 15
month tour in Iraq. Many of the rooms in the home are missing walls and
ceilings, there are exposed electrical wires, and only one bathroom is
functioning. Heroes at Home will repair the basic structure of the
VanderWerts' home by finishing bathrooms and all bedrooms on the second
floor, repairing all exposed wiring, painting bedrooms, and upgrading the
kitchen.
    "When we work together, we build new hope in the lives of others," said
Gary A. Officer, President and CEO of Rebuilding Together. "Through its
partnership with its customers, Sears demonstrates how extraordinary things
can be done for our veterans and service members and their families who
have sacrificed for us."
    Extreme Makeover's Paige Hemmis will honor military families by joining
Heroes at Home to rebuild and repair homes. "Our military works hard to
serve and protect us overseas," says Hemmis, "and I feel delighted that I
can give back by granting wishes to these heroes and their families this
Veterans Day."
    Sears Holdings' ongoing commitment to assisting troops and their
families includes several recruiting and employment programs. The company
offers a military pay differential to employees serving in the armed
forces. Additionally, reservists who are employed full-time are allowed to
continue participating in life insurance, medical and dental programs.
    To find out more about Heroes at Home or to refer a military family or
veteran to the program go to http://www.RebuildingTogether.org or call
1-800-473-4229.
    About Sears Holdings Corporation
    Sears Holdings Corporation is the nation's third 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 neighborhoods by providing
rehabilitation services free of charge to those in need. Through the
support of corporate sponsors, local businesses, and the hands-on work of a
quarter-million volunteers, Rebuilding Together rehabs and repairs more
than 9000 homes each year. The market value of this work is in excess of
$100 million annually. In addition to its core home repair work, Rebuilding
Together rehabs community centers and conducts home modification and repair
programs that focus on elder home safety, energy efficiency, veterans
housing, and disaster recovery and reconstruction. Rebuilding Together has
grown to 225 affiliates nationwide since its founding in 1988, and is now
preserving safe and healthy homes in 1800 communities nationwide.
Rebuilding Together celebrated the rehabilitation of its 100,000th home in
2006. For details, see http://www.rebuildingtogether.org or call
1-800-REHAB-9.

SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation





 

 
Web site: http://www.searsholdings.com

 http://www.rebuildingtogether.org

  

 
CONTACT: Taline Kundakji of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR,
 +1-212-367-6922; or Brenda Storch of Sears Holdings,
 +1-847-286-2897, +1-224-735-9579; or Becky Carter of Rebuilding
 Together, +1-202-518-3500