LIDS Foundation Selects 2015 National Partner

INDIANAPOLIS, July 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- LIDS Foundation announced today its 2015 National Partner to be Our Military Kids, Inc., a non-profit organization recognizing and supporting military families across the country. The philanthropic support arm of LIDS Sports Group, LIDS Foundation, presented a check of $200,000 to Our Military Kids to help sustain their efforts in keeping military children engaged in athletic, fine arts and tutoring programs.

The Foundation's National Partner is selected based on an organization's alignment with the Foundation's mission and purpose. Leaders of the Our Military Kids organization have been working with the Foundation's mission to identify several opportunities to benefit not only the Our Military Kids organization, but the LIDS Foundation throughout the entire country. Our Military Kids will collaborate with the Foundation to identify a variety of volunteer opportunities actively engaging LIDS Sports Group employees. Because of this partnership, the Foundation and Our Military Kids will work strongly together to help sustain this partnership and its programs beyond the National Partnership funding from the Foundation.

"The LIDS Foundation is focused on helping enable children to live healthy and active lives," said Scott Molander, LIDS Foundation President. "Creating this partnership is a natural evolution of our relationship with Our Military Kids which started with their selection as a 2013 Tip the Hat award recipient."

To spring the National Partnership into action, initiatives such as the ones listed below, will generate more awareness of each organization throughout the country.

-  Post cards from Our Military Kids children will be sent to LIDS stores throughout the country.

-  Children and their families will get to experience fun activities with LIDS employees like a night out at a baseball game.

-  All LIDS stores will receive static clings to put up stating, "We are a proud sponsor of Our Military Kids."

-  Each child receiving an Our Military Kids grant receives a LIDS Loves pin in their packets.

"Our Military Kids is excited to continue our partnership with LIDS Foundation to help more children find their passion in life. With the help of LIDS Foundation, we can reach out to more families in need and continue supporting our military families in a tangible way," Linda Davidson, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Our Military Kids stated. "We are very thankful for the generosity LIDS Foundation has shown Our Military Kids. We look forward to making a difference and continuing to impact the lives of military families."

For more information on LIDS Foundation and its partnership with Our Military Kids, please visit www.lidsfoundation.org.

About LIDS Foundation
The LIDS Foundation is a 501©(3) charitable organization and the philanthropic support arm of LIDS Sports Group. The Foundation works to engage young people in the communities where LIDS Sports Group operates to become active in sports-related activities that promote healthy lifestyles as well as leadership and growth opportunities. It accomplishes its mission primarily through offering resources – be it in the manner of time, expertise, funds, or materials – to nonprofit organizations with goals and values that align with those of the LIDS Foundation. To find out more about the LIDS Foundation, visit www.lidsfoundation.org.

About Our Military Kids
Our Military Kids is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization created to provide support and recognition to military children. This includes children of deployed National Guard and Reserve service members, along with children of Wounded and Fallen Warriors from all branches of service. The grants to children pay for fees associated with athletic, fine arts and tutoring programs. OMK grants keep military children engaged in activities of their choosing, helping to relieve the stress of separation from a parent by providing a positive distraction, minimizing emotional destabilization, building self-esteem and enabling academic achievement. For more information about Our Military Kids, visit www.ourmilitarykids.org.

ABOUT LIDS SPORTS GROUP
The LIDS Sports Group, operating within Hat World Inc., is comprised of the LIDS retail headwear stores, the Locker Room by LIDS specialty fan retail chain, the LIDS Clubhouse retail stores, the LIDS Team Sports wholesale team sports business, and the Internet businesses www.lids.com, www.lidsclubhouse.com, www.lidsteamsports.com and www.lids.ca. Operating out of Indianapolis, Indiana, the retail businesses make up more than 1,200 mall-based, airport, street level and factory outlet locations nationwide, and in Canada and Puerto Rico. LIDS retail stores offer officially licensed and branded headwear of collegiate teams, major professional sports teams, as well as other specialty fashion categories in the latest styles and colors. Locker Room by LIDS is a mall-based retailer of sports headwear, apparel, accessories, and novelties which also operates under the Sports Fan-Attic and Sports Avenue retail concepts. Most LIDS and Locker Room by LIDS stores also offer custom embroidery capability. LIDS Clubhouse operates team-specific professional sports and university athletics retail stores and e-commerce sites. LIDS Team Sports is a full-service team uniform and apparel dealer, custom screen printer, embroidery and sporting goods distributor. Hat World Inc. is a subsidiary of Genesco Inc.

SOURCE LIDS Foundation

Related Links

http://www.lidsfoundation.org