Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation Accepts $423,506 Donation from Kohl's Cares®

Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation accepted a $423,506 donation from Kohl's Cares® which supports the Kohl's Autism Awareness Program through Children's Specialized Hospital.

(PRWEB) October 06, 2014

Mountainside, NJ: Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation accepted a $423,506 donation from Kohl's Cares® which supports the Kohl's Autism Awareness Program through Children's Specialized Hospital.

More than 5,000 fans filled the seats at a recent Somerset Patriots Baseball game held at the TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater NJ. The fans joined Kohl's and Children's Specialized Hospital representatives for a special game dedicated to Kohl's Autism Awareness and celebrated as Kohl's executives presented the check to hospital staff and a patient family. Since 2000, Kohl's has donated more than $5.1 million to Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation.

Experts from the hospital spoke with fans about autism, services offered at Children's Specialized Hospital and resources for families affected by autism, including strategies for having fun at community activities. The resources were helpful for everyone regardless of age or abilities, such as how to prepare for a visit to a baseball game or to watch fireworks. Associates in Action, the Kohl's volunteer group, handed out souvenir sunglasses to the first 1,000 kids at the game; and children with autism participated in on-field activities and games.

Lew Ferrero, district manager, Kohl's threw out the first pitch – a strike - and was proud to have represented Kohl's at this special event.

“We are thrilled to have had such a successful year supporting the incredible work being done at Children's Specialized Hospital,” said Ferrero. “Knowing our efforts are helping thousands of people learn more about autism and help families with kids with autism is very rewarding.”

This year, the Kohl's Cares funding supported the Children's Specialized Hospital Autism Education Program, as well as more than 30 free developmental screening clinics. Past hospital initiatives supported through Kohl's Cares include Children's Specialized Hospital's Friday Night Fever, Adaptive Aquatics, Lightning Wheels sports team and the Walk n' Roll.

“New Jersey has the highest incidence of autism in the country with 1 in 49 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. With the help of Kohl's, we have been able to develop great resources for families affected by autism, including the Community Hub which is a website with a wealth of information and strategies for people with ASD, their families, and professionals involved in their care,” said Jill Harris, Ph. D., director program development, autism program at Children's Specialized Hospital.

Children's Specialized Hospital has more than 120 years of experience caring for children with special needs and is the state's leader in autism diagnosis, treatment and research. The hospital serves children affected by brain injury, spinal cord injury, premature birth, autism, developmental delays and life-changing illnesses. Children's Specialized Hospital has 13 sites in New Jersey and treats 22,000 children each year, making it the largest pediatric rehabilitation system in the country.

Kohl's commitment to Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation is made possible through the Kohl's Cares cause merchandise program. Through this initiative, Kohl's sells $5 books and plush toys, with 100 percent of net profit benefiting 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. In addition to the merchandise program, Kohl's Cares features the Kohl's Cares® Scholarship Program, which last year recognized more than 2,300 young volunteers with more than $400,000 in scholarships and prizes. Through Kohl's Associates in Action volunteer program, more than 669,000 associates have donated more than 2.2 million hours of their time since 2001, and Kohl's has donated more than $63 million to youth-focused nonprofit organizations. Kohl's also offers fundraising gift cards for schools and youth-serving organizations. For more information, visit http://www.Kohls.com/Cares.

Children's Specialized Hospital, the largest pediatric rehabilitation hospital in the country, treats children affected by brain injury, spinal cord injury, premature birth, autism, developmental delays, and life-changing illnesses at thirteen sites throughout New Jersey. Services include outpatient therapies, physician specialty services, acute rehabilitation, medical day care and long-term care through its sites in Bayonne, Clifton, Egg Harbor Township, Mountainside, Toms River, Fanwood, Hamilton, New Brunswick, Newark and Roselle Park as well as outreach programs in many communities. Children's Specialized Hospital is an affiliate member of the Robert Wood Johnson Health System and a proud member of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation supports the programs and services of the hospital. The Foundation is ranked among the top six pediatric hospital foundations in the country. To help, or find more information: call 888-CHILDRENS; visit http://www.childrens-specialized.org; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/childrensspecialized; Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/childrensspecnj; YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/cshnj; LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/children's-specialized-hospital

About Kohl's
Kohl's KSS is a leading specialty department store with 1,160 stores in 49 states. With a commitment to inspiring and empowering families to lead fulfilled lives, the company offers amazing national and exclusive brands, incredible savings and inspiring shopping experiences in-store, online at Kohls.com and via mobile devices. Committed to our communities, Kohl's has raised more than $257 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 additional information about Kohl's philanthropic and environmental initiatives, visit http://www.Kohls.com/Cares. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit http://www.Kohls.com.

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