Kohl’s donates $1.5m to Wis. children’s hospital

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. — Kohl’s has donated $1.5 million to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin on behalf of Kohl’s Cares, the company’s philanthropic arm.

The money will fund the Kohl’s Cares Grow Safe & Healthy program designed to make Wisconsin kids and families aware of safety risks in and out of their homes, and the necessary steps to help avoid injury. The $1.5 million gift represents the largest corporate donation to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin this year.

The program will educate children and their families about the leading causes of preventable childhood injuries and accidents suffered at home, including falls, poisoning, burns, choking and suffocation and drowning. The program will also address out-of-home issues, such as distracted driving and seat belt use.

“Kohl’s is proud to continue our partnership with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin,” said Kevin Mansell, Kohl’s chairman, president and CEO. “Together, we are working to educate Wisconsin children and families about injury prevention to create a safer, healthier community.”

The Kohl’s Cares Grow Safe & Healthy program will present age-relevant information to remind Wisconsin families that injury prevention is important at all ages. The mobile tour, which will launch at ChocolateFest in Burlington, Wis., May 24, will bring educational kiosks to family-friendly fairs and festivals throughout the year in southeastern Wisconsin. Additionally, USBs will be handed out at event stops, allowing families to go online for additional information about injury prevention. Kiosks will also be placed at seven locations in the greater Milwaukee area, and the interactive programming will be available as a free mobile phone application.

“With Kohl’s generous $1.5 million donation, we are honored to continue our long-standing partnership and joint commitment to the Milwaukee community,” said Bridget Clementi, director of community health, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. “Our work together allows us to develop fun and educational programs for the kids and families in our area.”

The donation is funded through the Kohl’s Cares cause merchandise program, which sells special merchandise, including plush toys and books, and donates 100% of the net profit to benefit children’s health and education initiatives nationwide. Since 2000, Kohl’s and Kohl's Cares have combined to give more than $55 million to support charitable initiatives in the metro-Milwaukee area, including more than $8.3 million to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to help improve the health and safety of Wisconsin children. To date, the Kohl’s Cares cause merchandise program has raised more than $231 million for children’s initiatives nationwide.