Ann Taylor and LOFT Launch Annual St. Jude Thanks and Giving® Campaign for the Holiday Season

NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Ann Taylor and LOFT, part of the ascena retail group collective of brands, announced their continued partnership with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® by participating in the St. Jude Thanks and Giving® campaign for the 12^th consecutive year. Throughout the holiday season, associates and clients can donate to help St. Jude provide cutting-edge treatment and pursue innovative research around childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

From November 16 through December 31, clients who shop in-store and online at Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Factory, LOFT and LOFT Outlet in the U.S. and Puerto Rico can easily add a donation to St. Jude to their check-out purchase. A donation of $3 could help provide pediatric isolation masks, $10 could help provide new toys for play areas and $36 could help provide meals for one day. 

"Our longstanding partnership with St. Jude is made possible year after year by the dedication and generosity of our associates and clients," said Gary Muto, President and CEO ascena brands. "We believe in the St. Jude mission and are humbled by this opportunity to help make a difference."

Ann Taylor and LOFT have been top partners for St. Jude since 2007, raising more than $44.6 million for the organization. Earlier this year, the St. Jude Garden Grown by LOFT was unveiled on the St. Jude campus to mark the brand's dedication to the lifesaving mission of St. Jude and intent to "grow together" for many years to come.

Donations help provide funding so that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Treatments created at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since it opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won't stop until no child dies from cancer.

"I am so grateful to Ann Taylor and LOFT for their commitment to the children of St. Jude," said Marlo Thomas, National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "Fifteen years ago we created this campaign to uphold my father Danny's promise that no family ever pays St. Jude for anything. The overwhelming support from Ann Taylor and LOFT will once again provide an opportunity for holiday shoppers to raise funds that directly support the research that leads to life saving treatments for children across the country and around the world."

As part of the recently launched 2018 Responsibility Report, ascena retail group announced its commitment to raise and donate $250 million by 2025 in support of women and girls around the globe. The organization's continued support of St. Jude is an extension of this commitment.

To learn more about how you can support Ann Taylor, Ann Taylor Factory, LOFT and LOFT Outlet during this campaign, visit anntaylor.com, factory.anntaylor.com, LOFT.com and outlet.loft.com.

About ascena retail group, inc. 
ascena retail group, inc. (Nasdaq: ASNA) is a leading national specialty retailer offering apparel, shoes, and accessories for women under the Premium Fashion segment (Ann Taylor, LOFT, and Lou & Grey), Value Fashion segment (maurices and dressbarn), Plus Fashion segment (Lane Bryant, Catherines and Cacique), and for tween girls under the Kids Fashion segment (Justice). ascena retail group, inc. operates ecommerce websites and approximately 4,600 stores throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

For more information about ascena retail group, inc. visit:  ascenaretail.com, AnnTaylor.com, factory.anntaylor.com, LOFT.com, outlet.loft.com, louandgrey.com, maurices.com, dressbarn.com, lanebryant.com, Catherines.com and shopjustice.com.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital^® 
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Its purpose is clear: Finding cures. Saving children.^® It is the only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to more than 80 percent since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org, liking St. Jude on Facebook, following St. Jude on Twitter and Instagram and subscribing to its YouTube channel.

SOURCE ascena retail group, inc.