Belk Raises $550,000 for First Responders Children's Foundation Through Charity Day Sale

NEW YORK, July 14, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- First Responders Children's Foundation, a nonprofit that provides support to children and their families enduring financial hardships due to tragic circumstances, today announced that it has received a $550,000 donation from Belk through a special Charity Day Sale to help support its COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. The donation will provide aid to the healthcare and emergency personnel working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in local communities throughout Belk's 16-state footprint.

In addition to providing financial hardship grants, the funds will help supply personal protective equipment for first responders as well as temporary housing to curb the spread of hardship and infection among first responder families and the communities they serve.

"First Responders Children's Foundation would like to thank Belk, its associates and customers for supporting our Foundation," said Jillian Crane, President of First Responders Children's Foundation. "There's no doubt that first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic are sacrificing so much to protect our families, and it's our responsibility to help them and their families through this crisis by providing grants, scholarships and partnerships. Through our partnership with Belk we were able to surpass our $500,000 fundraising goal and raise an additional $50,000 as well as educate and inspire Belk's customers about the brave individuals who are working on the front lines of this pandemic."

The Helping Our Heroes Charity Day Sale, held at all Belk locations and online at belk.com, offered customers exclusive discounts up to 40% off on rarely discounted top designer brands such as Free People, Polo, Under Armour, Columbia, Coach and Levi's. In addition to donating 2% of sales that weekend, which totaled approximately $500,000, customers were able to round-up their purchase to the nearest dollar or make a separate donation to the First Responder's Children Foundation. Through these efforts, Belk customers raised an additional $50,000 for the nonprofit.

"We wanted to show our appreciation to first responders, and our partnership with this organization during our Charity Sale is very special," said Lisa Harper, CEO of Belk. "We're proud to help support the heroes on the front lines who've risked so much to keep us safe during the COVID-19 pandemic."

The First Responders Children's Foundation was created after 9/11 and has provided millions of dollars in college scholarships benefiting hundreds of children with first responder parents who have been killed or injured in the line of duty. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the organization has awarded $5.76 million in grants to more than 5,000 first responders, including healthcare workers, police, fire and EMT, who have endured financial hardships due to COVID-19.

About First Responders Children's Foundation
For the past 19 years, First Responders Children's Foundation has been providing college scholarships to children of first responders who have lost a parent in the line of duty. The Foundation also awards grants to families enduring significant financial hardship and supports programs operated by law enforcement organizations whose purpose is to benefit children or the community in which they live. As COVID-19 continues to infect communities across the nation, the need for grants within the first responder community continues to grow, and the Foundation has set a fundraising goal of $200 million to meet the projected needs of first responders. In response to the growing need, the Foundation launched the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to help "Give More Grants" to first responders. In recent weeks, First Responders Children's Foundation was a charity partner of the "Fox Presents iHeart Living Room Concert for America" and the "One World: Together at Home" concerts paying tribute to first responders on the front lines of the pandemic. More information can be found at www.1strcf.org. Follow First Responders Children's Foundation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @1strcf.

About Belk
Belk, Inc., a private department store company based in Charlotte, N.C., is where customers shop for their Saturday night outfit, the perfect Sunday dress, and where family and community matter most. But Belk is more than shopping – it's where you find your own unique way to express who you are. Shop Belk in 16 states and on www.belk.com to find an assortment of national brands and private-label fashion, shoes and accessories for the entire family, along with top beauty brands and styles for the home.

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SOURCE Belk