Sears Assists Residents in Five States Following Hurricane Ivan
Family-Focused Contributions, Free Flat-Tire Repair Service Focus of Outreach
Sears, Roebuck and Co. (NYSE: S), through its Sears American Dream Campaign, is assisting residents in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi as relief efforts for the wide-sweeping Hurricane Ivan get underway. Sears is providing United Way of America with $25,000 in gift cards to help families hardest hit in Pensacola, Fla., Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. and Mobile, Ala. by the storm reestablish their homes and outfit their families.
In addition, Sears is providing free flat-tire repair at Sears Auto Centers in 30 counties from September 17 to 25 as a courtesy to customers whose tires have been damaged by weather-related driving conditions. (List of participating Sears Auto Centers accompanies this release.)
"Sears is focusing its recovery and relief efforts on the families, homes and communities who need it most," said Samuel Alexander, Jr., South Central Region vice president for Sears full-line stores. "United Way will enable the company to touch the lives of families who were hardest hit."
United Way of America will work with its network of local United Ways and community-based human service agencies to distribute Sears Gift Cards through its Long Term Recovery Program designed to help affected families develop recovery plans and access adequate assistance for recovery.
Within the last month, Sears has donated more than $1 million in merchandise and cash contributions for hurricane-related relief activities. More than 75 Sears employees have volunteered their time and talents to help families recover from the disaster.
The Sears American Dream Campaign is a multi-year, $100 million commitment to strengthen families, homes and communities. From helping low- and moderate-income homeowners nationwide outfit and maintain their homes to assisting victims of natural disasters to providing thousands of children with new apparel, the Sears American Dream Campaign is making a meaningful difference in communities across the nation.
There are approximately 1,400 independent, community-based United Way organizations in the U.S. Each is separately incorporated and governed by local volunteers. United Way of America is the national organization dedicated to leading the United Way movement in making a measurable impact in every community across America. For more United Way information visit http://www.unitedway.org/ .
Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services. With revenues in 2003 of $41.1 billion, the company offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through more than 2,300 Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the U.S. and Canada, which includes approximately 870 full-line and 1,100 specialty stores in the U.S. Sears also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears is the only retailer where consumers can find each of the Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End brands together-among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S. The company is the largest provider of product repair services with more than 14 million service calls made annually.
Sears Auto Centers providing free flat-tire repair September 17-25: ALABAMA Birmingham, 7500 Crestwood Boulevard Birmingham, 2500 Riverchase Galleria Dothan, 734 West Main Street Fairfield, 6550 Wiebel Drive Mobile, 3201 Bel Air Mall Montgomery, 1500 Eastdale Mall FLORIDA Mary Esther, 300 Mary Esther Boulevard Panama City, 731 Highway 231 Pensacola, 7171 North Davis Highway Tallahassee, 1500 Apalachee Parkway GEORGIA Albany, 2601 Dawson Road LOUISIANA Houma, 6011 West Park Avenue MISSISSIPPI Biloxi, 2600 Beach Road Gautier, 2800 Highway 90
SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.
CONTACT: Media, Cheryl Ann Lambert of Sears, Roebuck and Co.,
+1-847-286-4714, or David Albritton of United Way of America, +1-703-683-7807