MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — For more than a decade St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has transformed the holiday shopping season into a time of raising awareness and funds for the ongoing battle to end childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign unites celebrities, media, retail and corporate partners in asking consumers to donate while they shop and support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude.

What began as a holiday-focused fundraising effort by St. Jude, has now grown into an annual tradition that has raised more than $487 million over the past 10 years to help St. Jude provide cutting-edge treatment and pursue visionary research. These funds are critical given that no family ever pays St. Jude for anything.

“What makes the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign so unique and successful,” said Marlo Thomas, “is how deeply embedded it has become in the public consciousness during the holidays. After 10 incredible years, this groundbreaking program has now become instantly associated with the humanity and good will of the holiday season–which was our original goal.” Ms. Thomas is the National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and the co-creator of the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign.

Ramping up Thanksgiving week and running through the end of December^*, consumers can support St. Jude while they shop at a variety of businesses representing a cross-section of premier brands in retail, restaurant, travel, hospitality, media and beyond. Top returning campaign partners include Kmart, CVS/pharmacy, ANN INC., Kay Jewelers, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Domino’s, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., GNC, HomeGoods, AutoZone, New York & Company, Dollar General, Brooks Brothers and GameStop, to name a few.

“The generous support we receive year after year from our amazing partners is so important to us, because it allows us to continue to keep my father’s founding promise that no family ever receives a bill from St. Jude–not for treatment, travel, housing or food. That’s because we believe all a family should worry about is helping their child live,” Ms. Thomas added.

New partners joining the campaign this year include The Limited; Areas USA, Inc.; Mark & Graham and Rejuvenation, both divisions of Williams-Sonoma, Inc.; Field & Stream (DICK’S Sporting Goods); and long-time St. Jude supporter Chili’s Grill & Bar who is expanding its efforts to year-round support for St. Jude, including the holiday season.

Last year, Kmart raised $21.9 million – setting a new record for fundraising by a single St. Jude partner. Since becoming a partner in 2006, Kmart has raised more than $59.2 million in support of the mission of St. Jude.

“Kmart’s long history of success in supporting charitable causes is due to the generosity of our Shop Your Way members, customers and associates,” said Alasdair James, president and chief member officer at Kmart. “We’re proud of the impact our results have made for the families of St. Jude and thankful to St. Jude for its tireless work to defeat cancer and other diseases in children. St. Jude makes holiday shopping at Kmart more rewarding and we’re excited to support an organization that clearly means so much to our members.”

This year, St. Jude partners are expanding and supporting the campaign in a variety of ways – from in-store fundraising to unique cross-promotions and online/mobile features.

Highlights include:

• Partners celebrating a 10-year milestone this year include Williams-Sonoma, Inc., HSN, Brooks Brothers, Destination XL, American Kiosk Management, Westfield Malls, The Melting Pot, American Airlines and Domino’s.
• Brooks Brothers will host its annual holiday celebration in its flagship store in New York City as well as Los Angeles.
• Customers can now donate via the pin pad at the register at Best Buy and Christopher & Banks locations nationwide.
• Several partners will offer product during the holidays to benefit St. Jude including Anna’s Linens, Ann Taylor, Brooks Brothers, HomeGoods, HSN, Kmart, New York & Company, TUMI, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. and their family of brands, to name a few.
• Kay Jewelers^® will once again offer its popular plush campaign, benefitting St. Jude, this year featuring Kip, a cuddly gray puppy, and Kenny, an adorable white bear.
• Domino’s and Coca-Cola have partnered on a St. Jude Meal Deal, offering customers the opportunity to order and make a donation to St. Jude.
• Chili’s^® Grill & Bar has joined the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign this year and is leveraging the brand’s new Ziosk® tabletop devices to generate donations and awareness for St. Jude. Starting Nov. 24, guests can simply add a donation amount of their choice directly to the check when using Ziosk at any participating Chili’s restaurant nationwide.
• Mazda will honor Danny Thomas and St. Jude again this year with their Mazda Drive for Good campaign and Holiday Game Changer television commercial. The company will donate $150 for every new Mazda purchased or leased from Nov. 21, 2014 through Jan. 2, 2015 to St. Jude or one of the other participating charities.
• GameStop will accept St. Jude donations at company owned Spring Mobile, Cricket and Simply Mac locations, and additionally will promote the campaign via their online and print brands EBGames, kongregate.com, BuyMyTronics.com, Micromania, and Gameinformer.com.
• American Airlines and Delta Air Lines will promote the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign via in-flight video promotion, inclusion in their in-flight magazines and social media support.
• National theater partners including Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Theatres and Carmike Cinemas will showcase a star-studded St. Jude Thanks and Giving trailer to promote awareness throughout the campaign.

“For more than a decade we have celebrated the success of the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign, thanks to exceptional partnerships with 60 corporate partner brands and the generosity of donors who shop with them,” said Richard Shadyac Jr., President and CEO of ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “Our partners continuously find new and innovative ways to encourage their customers to support the St. Jude mission, and this year is no exception. St. Jude has helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20 percent to 80 percent, and our partners’ unwavering support in raising funds and awareness helps ensure that St. Jude can do everything possible to drive survival rates to 90 percent in the next decade.”

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The hospital freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, so every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children.

The St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign asks people to “Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not” in order to help St. Jude continue its mission of finding cures and saving children. To join the fight against childhood cancer this holiday season:

• Donate at stjude.org and visit the site to learn more.
• Shop with participating businesses and donate at the register. Visit stjude.org for a complete list of partners.
• Follow St. Jude on social media and share your support during the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign.
• Participate in the St. Jude Give thanks. Walk.^TM, the official kickoff event for the St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign held on Saturday, Nov. 22, in more than 65 communities nationwide. Supporters join together for this family friendly 5K during the holidays as teams and individuals to help raise funds for the kids of St. Jude. National series sponsors are Target and American Airlines. Visit givethankswalk.org for a complete list of locations.

*Some brands begin campaigns outside the Thanksgiving to Dec. 31 timeframe.

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 life-threatening 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 in the next decade. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs 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 or 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.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A high-resolution image is available at: http://hispanicprwire.com/en/multimedia/