St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® Thanks Top Partners and Their Customers for Raising More Than $3mm Each During the Thanks and Giving® Campaign

Kmart, CVS/pharmacy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., Sterling Jewelers Inc. and their holiday shoppers' generosity help save children's lives

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Jan. 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the nation's leading pediatric research and treatment center devoted solely to children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases, thanks shoppers nationwide for their generosity during the holiday. Top brands such as Kmart, CVS/pharmacy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., Sterling Jewelers Inc. and their loyal customers opened their hearts and purse strings during a questionable economic climate raising more than $3 million each during the Thanks and Giving campaign.  The announcement was made today by Marlo Thomas, national outreach director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

"We all know that retailers and businesses rely on their sales during November and December to ensure that they end up in the black," said Marlo Thomas. "But each year during the holiday season, our devoted partners -- including Kmart, CVS/pharmacy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and Sterling Jewelers -- also dedicate themselves to raising funds for the children of St. Jude, so that they can go home and live long and happy lives. All of us at St. Jude thank our cherished partners and their customers from the bottom of our hearts."

Many of America's premier businesses and brands came together during the Thanks and Giving campaign, which asks customers to "give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not." Holiday shoppers donated money at the cash register, online through the companies' websites or purchased specialty products either in store or online to support St. Jude.

This unique campaign unites normal business competitors with one goal during the holiday season – to build awareness and raise funds to support the vital research and treatment being done at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. It costs $1.6 million to operate St. Jude each day, and more than 70 percent of that funding comes from the public through campaigns like Thanks and Giving.

Kmart, the St. Jude 2010 Corporate Partner of the Year and lead fundraiser for the 2009 and 2010 Thanks and Giving campaigns, continued its support for a fifth consecutive year through customer add-ons at Kmart locations throughout the country. Kmart has raised more than $23 million for St. Jude since becoming a partner in 2006.

CVS/pharmacy and its customers raised $5.5 million this year with 7,100 CVS/pharmacy stores across the country participating. Since 2004, CVS/pharmacy has raised more than $24 million through the Thanks and Giving campaign for St. Jude.

Dick's Sporting Goods offered customers the chance to support St. Jude by making an add-on donation at register. The sporting goods store and its customers raised more than $4.9 million this year. In 2007, its first year as a campaign partner, DICK'S raised $1.9 million, which still remains a record total for a first year partner.

Williams-Sonoma, Inc. rallied its family of customers, vendors, and employees - from the executive offices to associates in more than 600 stores - to help raise more than $3.4 million for St. Jude, the company's most successful fundraising year yet.

Sterling Jewelers Inc., the parent company of Kay® Jewelers and Jared® the Galleria of Jewelry, has partnered with St. Jude for 12 years and has raised more than $22 million for the kids of St. Jude through the sale of plush animals.

Since opening in 1962, St. Jude has developed protocols that have helped push survival rates for childhood cancers from less than 20 percent to more than 80 percent overall. St. Jude also freely shares its research with communities across the nation and around the world—helping children who never even visit the hospital. In 2010, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was named the No. 1 children's cancer hospital in the U.S. by U.S. News & World Report and was ranked the top trusted charity in the U.S. by Harris Interactive.

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital:

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family's inability to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. In 2010, St. Jude was ranked the most trusted charity in the nation in a public survey conducted by Harris Interactive, a highly respected international polling and research firm. St. Jude was also named the nation's top children's cancer hospital in the 2010-11 Best Children's Hospitals rankings published by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, go to www.stjude.org and follow St. Jude on www.facebook.com/stjude and www.twitter.com/stjude.

SOURCE ALSAC/St. Jude Chidren's Research Hospital