CBL malls in the Midwest give back through National Random Acts of Kindness Week

Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL & Associates Properties said that eleven of its malls in the Midwestern U.S. handed out 6,000 gifts during National Random Acts of Kindness week, Feb. 14-20.



The program is designed to give back to the community and support local nonprofit groups.



“Customers were absolutely thrilled when they were given a gift as they walked through their community mall,” said Sean Phillips, CBL regional marketing director for the Midwest. “When we gave away a year’s worth of Chick-fil-A meals to a family at Park Plaza Mall in Little Rock, the shoppers were so excited they ‘paid it forward’ by handing out some of the gift cards to others.”



To implement the program, each shopping center partnered with a local nonprofit organization, engaging volunteers to help surprise shoppers with the giveaways. A group of five malls in the St. Louis area worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Other participating organizations included: Watered Gardens, a homeless shelter in Joplin, Mo.; Harvesters Food Bank in Overland Park, Kan.; The Humane Society in Terre Haute, Ind.; Heartland Community College in Bloomington, Ill.; and Big Brothers Big Sisters in Decatur, Ill., and Little Rock, Ark.



More than 6,000 gifts, valued at over $30,000, were given away, and included gift cards from retailers, restaurants and eateries, as well as jewelry, stuffed animals, beauty services and more.