HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In honor of its
long-standing commitment to military servicemen and women on Veterans Day,
Sears will kick-off its Heroes at Home Wish Registry today, to fulfill wishes
for deserving military families and personnel this holiday season. Sears
created the Heroes at Home Wish Registry to help make the wishes of members of
the military come true for the holidays and enable Americans to provide a
direct 'thank you' to them.
This fall, more than 29,000 active military members registered to
participate in the Wish Registry at Sears.com. Sears heard from U.S. Service
members around the world -- ranging from one soldier just wishing to spend the
holidays with his family, to another wishing for simple items after his
family's home was destroyed in a fire. One soldier wrote:
"When I met my wife for the first time it was love, romantic love like in
the movies. Army life hasn't been easy on my wife or kids. I'm currently on
my third tour in the Middle East. My family has sacrificed so much, and while
material things could never replace being home for Christmas, just knowing
they had a good one and were smiling on Christmas is a gift enough for me."
"The Heroes at Home Wish Registry enables all Americans to recognize and
celebrate the commitment our military makes on behalf of our country
everyday," said Don Hamblen, Sears' chief marketing officer. "The stories are
touching and show how selfless these military families are and Sears couldn't
be more proud to offer a program that helps make their holidays brighter."
The Heroes at Home Wish Registry works similar to a bridal registry. Now
through Dec. 24, consumers can go to Sears.com, read the military families'
stories, what they're wishing for, and may choose to donate to the Wish
Registry. Upon making a donation, consumers can include a note to the
families and wish them happy holidays. Donations made to the Wish Registry
are not tax deductible and will be used to purchase Sears Gift Cards that will
be equally distributed to all registered families, up to a maximum gift card
amount of $550 per family. In the event that all registered families receive
the maximum amount, all remaining sums will be donated to the United Services
Organization (USO).
Sears partnered with the USO to help communicate the Wish Registry to
military members, and will also make a $250,000 donation to support USO
programs and services around the world. 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.
Last year, Sears Holdings launched the Heroes at Home program to provide
support to service members, veterans and their families through joint efforts
with various nonprofit organizations, including Rebuilding Together, Inc.
Since the program's inception, Sears Holdings has helped to rebuild or
renovate more than 200 homes and has raised more than $5 million through the
Heroes at Home program for Rebuilding Together. Coming up Nov. 15, the
program will complete one of its many builds in Crestline, CA to assist
disabled veteran Jeremy Wiessmiller.
Also on Veterans Day, My Network TV will feature a two-hour Heroes at Home
special at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT. Hosted by Howie Long (host of FOX NFL
Sunday), the Heroes at Home special introduces viewers to six service members,
from California to Connecticut, who share their personal experiences of
service in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. The military
families share their struggles in their daily lives, the challenges they and
their loved ones face, and how Sears and MyNetworkTV have helped fulfill some
of their holiday wishes, and helped to make their transition back home more
seamless.
Chris Strickland, a disabled army veteran from Connecticut, will share how
Heroes at Home helped provide modifications throughout his home to make it
more accessible for him. (Check local listings for specific channel or visit
http://www.mynetworktv.com. The channel may be listed with MY in front of
channel number.)
Sears has actively supported this country's servicemen and women with
pride and respect since the company was founded more than a century ago. 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, make a donation, 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, please 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, please 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 http://www.uso.org.
