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HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., Dec. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sears announced its sixth annual Heroes at Home Wish Registry campaign raised more than $550,000 in gift card donations through generous donations from Shop Your Way members and customers. The retailer distributed those funds yesterday to more than 19,000 active-duty military families with e-gift cards valued at $28.75 each. To date, the program has raised more than $18 million dollars, helping more than 120,000 military families as they celebrate the holiday season.  

"Our members and customers understand the sacrifices that military families make for our country, and the holiday season is a perfect time to show appreciation," said Ron Boire, Sears Holdings' executive vice president, chief merchandising officer and president, Sears and Kmart formats. "We are proud to present America's military heroes and their families with this donation and wish each of them a wonderful holiday season."

As a new bonus from Sears this year, Heroes at Home Wish Registry soldiers who became Shop Your Way members will receive 99 percent back in points on every purchase they make with their Wish Registry e-gift card in December* – a free opportunity to nearly double their gift card value.

Program participants shared their appreciation for the program. Comments Sears has received include:

• "A big thank you to all who donated to the Heroes at Home! You have helped make my kids Christmas a little brighter! Thank you Sears for organizing this wonderful program year after year! We deeply appreciate it!"
• "My husband just got his gift card. It will just about cover the fancy drill bits he's had his eyes on for Christmas. Thank you for giving to our troops. We appreciate every little bit."
• "Thank you so much for the Heroes at Home card and the AWESOME bonus of the bonus rewards points! I love your rewards point program it's a pleasant surprise every time I go in! Thanks to all who donated! Every little bit helps!"
• "I just want to say a big thank you to those that donated to the Heroes and Home!! Because of this we were able to get new outfits for us for my husband's upcoming welcome home ceremony. Thank you so much!"

The Heroes at Home Wish Registry supports active-duty soldiers by accepting donations in-store and online which are used to purchase Sears gift cards or registered families. Donations to the Heroes at Home Wish Registry are not tax deductible and are used to purchase Sears gift cards that are equally distributed to registered families. For many military families, the program allows them to purchase everything from warm clothes and new toys for children, to holiday decorations for homes.

The Heroes at Home Wish Registry is just one of many ways Sears demonstrates its commitment to the military. Through a collaboration with Rebuilding Together, Sears has renovated nearly 1,500 homes of veterans in need, making necessary repairs, improvements or modifications. Other examples include:

• Sears is one of the country's leading military employers, currently employing more than 30,000 veterans, of which 1,500 are actively serving in the Reserve and National Guard. Sears recruitment programs place service men and women in jobs within the organization as well as accommodations for their spouses who have relocated to be closer to them. Sears Holdings ranks number 58 on the list of .
• Sears Holdings offers military pay differential to its full-time associates who are reservists, serving on active duty. Reservists who are employed full-time are allowed to continue participating in life insurance, medical and dental programs. Sears will hold a comparable position for deployed employees for up to five years.

Military Community Gets More: New Shop Your Way Max Offer
In addition to the Wish Registry, Sears recently launched an offer exclusively for the military community. Active, retired or reserve military members as well as veterans and spouses/family members of military personnel can now enjoy a free six-month membership of Shop Your Way MAX by validating military affiliation through – a service that connects military members to exclusive brand deals. The offer includes free two-day shipping on many Sears and Kmart items which means free shipping through the holiday season and beyond. There is no credit card required and no obligation to continue membership once expired, however annual Max members earn double Shop Your Way base points on all qualified purchases both in-store and online when they become an annual member for $39. Plus, Max members receive $3 back in points (3,000 points) each month. Learn more at .

For more information on the Heroes at Home Wish Registry and to learn how to support military veterans throughout the year, visit .

*Offer valid 12/2/13-12/31/13. Members in the Wish Registry get 99% back in points on eligible Wish Registry gift card purchases, up to 50,000 points. Must use qualifying Wish Registry Sears gift card to qualify. Shop Your Way email must match the email registered with Wish Registry to qualify. Max points back for the 99% offer is 50,000 regardless of actual gift card amount issued. Wish Registry Members earn points on qualifying purchases excluding taxes and other fees.

About Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Sears, Roebuck and Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD), is a leading broadline retailer providing merchandise and related services and is 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. Sears, Roebuck offers its wide range of home merchandise, apparel and automotive products and services through its Sears-branded and affiliated stores in the United States and Canada. Sears, Roebuck also offers a variety of merchandise and services through sears.com, landsend.com, and specialty catalogs. Sears, Roebuck offers consumers leading proprietary brands including Kenmore, Craftsman, DieHard and Lands' End -- among the most trusted and preferred brands in the U.S.  The company is the nation's largest provider of home services, with more than 15 million service and installation calls made annually. For more information, visit the Sears, Roebuck website at or the Sears Holdings Corporation website at .

SOURCE Sears, Roebuck and Co.