Children's Health

West Michigan Children to Benefit from Kohl’s Donation to Support Injury Prevention

 A donation of more than $127,000 from Kohl’s Department Stores is helping to keep children in West Michigan safe. Representatives from Kohl’s will present Safe Kids Greater Grand Rapids—a program of Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital—with the donation on Saturday, October 23, at 9:45 a.m. at the Rivertown Crossings location. In addition to the check presentation, certified child passenger safety experts will provide free car seat safety inspections from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The donation will support Birth to Boosters: Kohl’s Kids Rides Safe at Every Stage. Kohl’s has donated more than $1,490,000 to the hospital since 2001.

“The Kohl’s Cares for Kids® program serves as the foundation of our program,” said Jennifer Hoekstra, injury prevention specialist and Safe Kids Greater Grand Rapids program coordinator. “Preventing injury and keeping children safe is our sole mission. The donation from Kohl’s enables us to provide resources and tools for our community.”

The Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Safe Kids program is the injury prevention arm of the hospital. Car seat and booster seat checks are offered regularly along with bike helmet fittings and distributions throughout the spring and summer months. Visit devoschildrens.org/safekids to learn about events in your area.

Kohl’s commitment to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is made possible through the Kohl’s Cares cause merchandise program. Through this initiative, Kohl’s sells $5 books and plush toys where 100 percent of net profit benefits children’s health and education programs nationwide. Kohl’s has raised more than $150 million through the merchandise program. In addition, Kohl’s Cares features a scholarship program, which recognizes more than 2,100 young volunteers with a total of $410,000 in scholarships and prizes a year; the Associates in Action program, which encourages associate volunteerism and provided more than $10 million in grants to youth-focused nonprofit organizations last year alone; and fundraising gift cards for schools and youth-serving organizations. For more information, visit kohlscorporation.com.

Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $150 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl’s Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit kohls.com.

Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, a member of Spectrum Health, is a Grand Rapids-based hospital serving children throughout Michigan. A teaching hospital, it includes more than 150 pediatric specialty physicians with specialized training in providing medical and surgical care to children in more than 40 pediatric specialties. Visit devoschildrens.org to learn more or devoschildrens.org/2011 to learn about the new hospital opening in 2011.