Kohl's Cares® donates $225,413 to Akron Children's Hospital

AKRON, Ohio, Nov. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Akron Children's Hospital recently received a grant for $225,413 from Kohl's Cares® to continue fitness programming for children in the community.

The 2013 program will focus on providing fitness education in the Akron Public Schools and schools in the Mahoning Valley. Ten schools in the Akron Public School District and two schools in the Mahoning Valley will be provided one- to two-hour, school-based assemblies that will feature lessons about basic nutrition, healthy eating and physical activity. Students will also be given fitness challenges that they can try at home, and materials will be sent home so the parents can encourage healthy lifestyles.

"The most important aspect of the program is to get materials to the parents because that's where it starts," says Amy Chand, youth fitness specialist and exercise physiologist at Akron Children's Hospital. "Children are not going to make the changes unless the parents are motivated and willing to make those changes as well."

To date, Kohl's has donated more than $3.5 million to Akron Children's Hospital.

"This is an important grant for the hospital because one of the targets is to try and prevent overweight children," said Chand. "This is a good way to promote fitness initiatives in Akron and the Mahoning Valley."

Kohl's commitment to Akron Children's Hospital is made possible through the Kohl's Cares^® cause merchandise program. Through this initiative, Kohl's sells $5 books and plush toys where 100 percent of net profit benefits children's health and education programs nationwide, including hospital partnerships like this one. Kohl's has raised more than $231 million through this merchandise program. For more information, visit www.Kohls.com/Cares.

About Akron Children's Hospital
With seven specialties on the U.S. News & World Report Best Children's Hospitals rankings, Akron Children's is the largest pediatric provider in northeast Ohio. We have two hospital campuses, 23 primary care and 63 pediatric specialty locations, and our dedicated staff handles more than 700,000 patient visits a year. We serve as a major teaching affiliate of Northeast Ohio Medical University and offer a number of pediatric subspecialty fellowship programs. In addition to providing high value, family-centered care, we strive to find ways to advance the prevention and treatment of childhood illness and injury through research.  For more information, visit akronchildrens.org.

About Kohl's
Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl's is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. With a commitment to environmental leadership, Kohl's operates 1,155 stores in 49 states. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl's has raised more than $231 million for children's initiatives nationwide through its Kohl's Cares® cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.Kohls.com, join the discussion on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/kohls) or Twitter (http://twitter.com/Kohls) or get inspired on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/kohls/) and Instagram (http://instagram.com/kohls).

SOURCE Akron Children's Hospital