Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE: KSS) is sending tens of thousands of its associates to volunteer in communities nationwide during the company’s third annual Kohl’s National Go Green Event (NGG) in celebration of two April events – National Volunteer Week and Earth Day. Through Kohl’s associate volunteer program, Associates in Action, Kohl’s volunteers will support youth-serving nonprofit organizations by participating in an environmentally-based activity, and Kohl’s will match those efforts with corporate grants. Through this initiative, Kohl’s will donate $2 million in grants to nonprofits nationwide for the third year in a row.

“Demonstrating Kohl’s ongoing commitment to environmental leadership and volunteerism, we are proud to once again announce that Kohl’s associates will be out in communities across the country to give back and go green,” said Julie Gardner, Kohl’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “The past two years Kohl’s National Go Green Events in honor of National Volunteer Week and Earth Day were extremely successful – resulting in thousands of volunteer hours and more than $4 million in grants for local organizations. This April, as we celebrate 50 years as a company, we are excited to continue making a meaningful difference for kids and the environment while having a powerful financial impact on local organizations.”

In April, groups of Kohl’s associates will be volunteering coast to coast for events including:

• Planting and cleaning up school grounds with Mooseheart Child City & School Inc. in Chicago.
• Giving new life to old plastic toys, that may otherwise be thrown away, and donating them to community children with Second Chance Toys in Philadelphia.
• Cleaning up the river by canoe with the Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee, Wis.
• Region-wide clean-up efforts with I Love a Clean San Diego County Inc. in Calif.
• Participating in beach and playground clean-up efforts with Seattle Aquarium Society in Seattle.

Committed to Giving Back

Kohl’s strives to be an active member of each community it serves. Part of the company’s community partnership is the Kohl’s volunteer program. Since 2001, Kohl’s associates nationwide have participated in volunteer activities that support children. When associates form teams of five or more to support a local youth-serving charity, the company supports the team’s participation with a corporate grant given directly to the charity. Since 2001:

• More than 500,000 Kohl’s associates have volunteered
• Kohl’s has executed more than 85,000 volunteer events
• More than 1.6 million volunteer hours were completed
• More than $47 million was donated to local nonprofits

The Kohl’s Associates in Action volunteer program is part of Kohl’s overall philanthropic platform, Kohl’s Cares®, which is committed to supporting children’s health and education initiatives nationwide. Since 2000, Kohl’s has raised more than $208 million through its Kohl's Cares program.

Committed to the Environment

In addition to supporting green volunteer activities, Kohl’s is committed to being a leading environmentally responsible retailer, implementing strategies that encourage long-term resource sustainability, including:

• Retail Leadership in Green Power & Renewable Energy – Kohl’s offsets 100 percent of its conventional companywide energy use through the purchase of renewable energy credits and through on-site energy generation at more than 120 solar locations and two wind locations. For 2012, Kohl’s purchased more than 1.5 billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy and ranked first in retail and second overall on EPA’s quarterly rankings of top green power purchasers. As a result of these efforts, Kohl’s was named a Green Power Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2011, 2010 and 2009.
• Energy Efficiency/ENERGY STAR – Kohl's has more than 700 ENERGY STAR-labeled locations – more than half of the company’s stores and more than any other department store. In 2012, Kohl’s was honored with EPA’s ENERGY STAR Award for Sustained Excellence for its long-term commitment to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. Commercial buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR label use, on average, 35 percent less energy than similar buildings and generate one-third less carbon dioxide.
• Environmentally Responsible Building Design, Construction & Operation/LEED – Kohl’s has more than 200 LEED-certified locations, including new buildings, existing buildings and tenant spaces. In October 2011, Kohl’s announced that the company’s new store prototype achieved LEED Gold precertification using the LEED for Retail: New Construction rating system, established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), making Kohl’s the first company in the nation to achieve this designation in the LEED Volume Program launched in November 2010. LEED-certified Kohl’s stores feature regional and recycled building materials, energy efficient building design and building automation systems, water efficient plumbing and irrigation, improved indoor air quality, green cleaning practices, operational recycling and an environmental education program.
• Electric Vehicle Charging Stations – In December 2011, Kohl’s began piloting electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at select Kohl’s stores nationwide. To date, 38 Kohl’s stores have one to four parking spaces reserved for EV drivers to charge at no cost while they shop.
• Corporate Gardens – Each year, associates at Kohl’s corporate office tend to three on-site, organic vegetable gardens. Since 2009, these gardens have provided nearly 2,000 pounds of food for local families.

Additional information about Kohl’s sustainability initiatives is available at www.kohlsgreenscene.com.

About Kohl's Department Stores

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. With a commitment to environmental leadership, Kohl’s operates 1,134 stores in 49 states. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $208 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 www.Kohls.com, or join the discussion on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/kohls or Twitter http://twitter.com/Kohls. 

Kohl's Department Stores

Kohl's Department Stores

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. With a commitment to environmental leadership, Kohl’s operates 1,155 stores in 49 states. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $231 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 www.Kohls.com, join the discussion on Facebook (facebook.com/Kohls) or Twitter (twitter.com/Kohls) or get inspired on Pinterest (pinterest.com/Kohls) and Instagram (instagram.com/Kohls).

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