Belk Announces More Than $19.3 Million in Charitable Contributions

CHARLOTTE, N.C., March 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Belk, Inc. announced today that the company, and its associates, customers and vendors contributed more than $19.3 million to local communities in the fiscal year ending January 31, 2013. Of the total amount, Belk corporate dollars funded $6.2 million to more than 250 nonprofit organizations, with a focus on education, breast cancer research and awareness, and community strengthening. The remainder of the funding includes associate, vendor and customer dollars raised in Belk-led charitable initiatives, including Belk Charity Sale.

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"Being a part of our communities and meeting local needs has been an integral part of the Belk philosophy since our founding in 1888, and it continues to be one of our core values today," said Jessica Graham, Belk vice president of communications and community relations. "We are grateful to our customers and our associates for their contributions to our efforts, which allow our efforts to have an even greater impact."

Key gifts in fiscal year 2013 included:

• More than $10 million to almost 8,000 local charities through Belk's semi-annual Charity Sale.
• More than $1.2M, including corporate and associate dollars, to local United Way chapters across Belk's 16-state footprint.
• $1.1 million to Susan G. Komen, which includes corporate, associate and customer dollars to fund breast cancer research and awareness efforts across the Belk footprint.
• More than $500,000, including customer and associate contributions, to the American Heart Association.

Key additional gifts from Belk, Inc. included:

• $6 million multi-year commitment, through the Foundation of the Carolinas, to fund the Belk Gives On The Go Mobile Mammography Center (belk.com/pink).
• $2 million commitment to Points of Light to fund Belk's 125 Days of Service, which will provide more than 225 makeovers to Title One schools across the company's footprint.
• $1.5 million commitment over three years, through the International Society for Technology in Education, to fund the Belk Service Learning Challenge (belkservicelearningchallenge.com).
• $750,000 to the Belk Foundation to assist in its efforts to ensure all students receive a quality public education.
• $200,000 commitment over two years of Major League Baseball's Civil Rights Game in Atlanta, G.A.
• More than $185,000 to support the work of Junior Leagues throughout the Southeast.
• $110,000 to the American Red Cross to support disaster relief efforts.
• $50,000 to support the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Scholarship Fund.

In addition, Belk supported almost a dozen fashion shows to raise money in for charities in local communities, as well as numerous fundraising events at store level.

About Belk, Inc.

Charlotte, N.C.-based Belk, Inc. (belk.com) is the nation's largest family owned and operated department store company with 301 Belk stores located in 16 Southern states. Founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, N.C., the company is in the third generation of Belk family leadership and has been committed to community involvement since its inception. Each year, Belk gives a portion of its pretax income back to the communities it serves. In fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2013, the company and its associates, customers and vendors, donated more than $19 million to those communities. Belk.com offers a wide assortment of national brands and private label fashion apparel, shoes and accessories for the entire family along with top name cosmetics, a wedding registry and a large selection of quality merchandise for the home. To connect with Belk go to Belk Get Connected.

SOURCE Belk, Inc.