Kmart® Launches Ugly Holiday Sweater Challenge to Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Nov. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 'Tis the season to wear the funniest, craziest and most ridiculously awesome ugly holiday sweaters. Kmart has launched #UglySweaterforBetter—a social media campaign that asks people to show off their favorite ugly sweaters in selfies, photos and videos while challenging others to do the same—to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital^®. Starting today through December 24, Kmart will donate $1.00 to St. Jude* for every qualifying Facebook, Instagram or Twitter post that tags @Kmart and @stjude and includes the campaign hashtag #UglySweaterforBetter.

Backing this first-of-its-kind campaign built upon the sharing of ugly sweaters is a wide array of Kmart and St. Jude celebrity supporters and donors, including Adam Levine, Jaclyn Smith, Lucy Hale, Reggie Bush, Raven-Symonè, Camilla Belle, Olivia Holt, Bryan Greenberg, and many more. They will challenge other celebrities, family members, friends and fans to give back this holiday season.

"Kmart has been selling ugly holiday sweaters for decades, and our members just eat them up every year. They are a fabulous fad that everyone loves!" said Kelly Cook, Chief Marketing Officer for Kmart. "What better way to spread holiday cheer for a good cause than by wearing your silliest, wackiest, straight-up tackiest ugly sweaters to benefit the patients and families of St. Jude? This relationship means so much to Kmart's associates and members, and we ask for people of all ages to join in on the fun, strike a pose and help us raise a ton of money for this special organization."

Since 2006, Kmart has been one of the top fundraising corporate partners for St. Jude and raised more than $105 million for the hospital's patients and families.

"Every year Kmart associates and shoppers open their hearts to the lifesaving mission of St. Jude through their incredible support of the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign," said Marlo Thomas, National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "As a result of their efforts, Kmart has raised a remarkable $105 million for St. Jude, more than any company in the hospital's history, allowing St. Jude to continue groundbreaking research and treatment all while keeping our founding promise that no family receives a bill from St. Jude for anything -- not for treatment, travel, housing or food -- because all a family should worry about is helping their child live."

In addition to the social media challenge, members can support the #UglySweaterforBetter fundraising initiative by purchasing an exclusive $5.00 holiday bear ornament at Kmart stores or online at Kmart.com. For every qualifying ornament sold, Kmart will donate $1.00 to St. Jude**. Totes featuring artwork created by St. Jude patients are for sale for just $1.99 at all Kmart stores, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting St. Jude. Donations to St. Jude may also be made online via a link at Kmart.com/StJude.

Throughout the campaign, Kmart associates will be wearing T-shirts featuring artwork created by St. Jude patients to show support of the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign.

To find out more about the #UglySweaterforBetter challenge, visit Kmart.com/StJude. To learn more about the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign or to make a donation, visit www.stjude.org.

To find your local Kmart, visit kmart.com/stores.

*Kmart will donate $1.00 for every Instagram post tagging @Kmart and @stjude and using the #UglySweaterforBetter hashtag to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital between 11/28/17 – 12/24/17, with a maximum donation of $50,000 to St. Jude. 

**Through December 31, 2017, Kmart is donating $1.00 from the in­ store or online purchase of each qualifying bear ornament to St. Jude, with a minimum total campaign donation of $50,000.

About Kmart 
Kmart, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation SHLD, is a mass merchandising company and part of Shop Your Way, a social shopping experience where members have the ability to earn points and receive benefits across a wide variety of physical and digital formats through shopyourway.com. Kmart offers customers quality products through a portfolio of exclusive brands that include Jaclyn Smith, Joe Boxer, Route 66 and Smart Sense. For more information visit the company's website at www.kmart.com | Sears Holdings Corporation website at www.searsholdings.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/kmart.

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other deadly diseases. St. Jude has the world's best survival rates for the most aggressive childhood cancers, and treatments invented at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent since we opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude is working to drive the overall survival rate for childhood cancer to 90 percent, and we won't stop until no child dies from cancer. St. Jude freely shares the discoveries we make, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food – because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. Join the St. Jude mission by visiting stjude.org or following St. Jude on facebook.com/stjude and twitter.com/stjude.

Media Contact:
Larry Costello – Kmart PR
Larry.Costello@searshc.com 
(847) 286-9036

Kmart Holiday Hotline:
312-527-2742

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SOURCE Kmart