Each Local Student Receives an $80 Target GiftCard to Purchase Needed School Supplies
(Alexandria, VA) July 26, 2011 - More than 12,000 students in need will have the opportunity to visit and shop Target stores for school supplies, clothing and other must-have necessities just in time for back-to-school. The Target School Spree will help kids, selected by The Salvation Army, from across the country gear up for the 2011 academic year. Each child will receive an $80 Target GiftCard to purchase much-needed school supplies.
"Education is at the heart of Target's giving and the Target School Spree is one way that we help kids learn and schools teach, paving a path to graduation," said Laysha Ward, President, Community Relations, Target. "By partnering with The Salvation Army, Target is giving kids in-need the tools necessary to show up to school ready to learn and succeed."
As part the Target School Spree, Target awarded all 40 of The Salvation Army Divisions nationwide a total of $1 million worth of Target GiftCards and in-kind donations for the shopping sprees. Recipients for the gift card spree were identified from the hundreds of youth programs the Army operates across the country. Each $80 Target GiftCard will provide a child with the necessary supplies to go back to school in the fall.
"Every year, thousands of students in all grades attend school without the right supplies - pencils, paper, notebooks and clothing. Target and The Salvation Army are working together to change that by providing educational opportunities to students in need throughout the country," said Major George Hood, National Community Relations and Development Secretary for The Salvation Army.
Nearly 500 Target stores will participate in the one-day Target School Spree event in select parts across the country. All participants will be given a reusable Target shopping bag and be paired with a volunteer chaperone for their fun day of back-to-school shopping. For more information, please visit www.salvationarmyusa.org.
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About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,755 stores in 49 states nationwide and at Target.com. In addition, the company operates a credit card segment that offers branded proprietary credit card products. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs; today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week. For more information about Target's commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/hereforgood.