Online Community to Help Target Give $1 Million to Select Charities
MINNEAPOLIS (February 1, 2010) – Target, which gives $3 million a week to support education, the arts, social services and volunteerism nationwide, today invites the online community and its more than 725,000 fans on Facebook® to participate in Super Love Sender, a two-week-long giving campaign on its Facebook Page (facebook.com/Target). The campaign, which runs from January 31 through February 14, 2010, combines football and love just in time for Super Bowl XLIV and Valentine’s Day, and allows participants to choose how five national charities will receive a portion of $1 million from Target to fund educational programming. The five charities are:
- Kids In Need Foundation
- United Through Reading® Military Program
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®
- United Way
- The Salvation Army
Through Super Love Sender, everyone can upload a personal photo and customize one of three quirky Valentine’s Day, football-inspired video cards to send to friends and family in support of the select charities. Every time a video card is sent, the guest-chosen charity will receive one vote. The total percentage of votes will correlate to the charities’ portion of the $1 million received in a one-time donation from Target.
“At Target, we continually look for unique ways to interact with our guests and provide them with the opportunity to participate in our charitable giving,” said Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target. “We designed Super Love Sender to be a fun, interactive and viral giving campaign that has the power to positively impact the educational programming of these five deserving charities.”
Funds raised through the Super Love Sender campaign will support the five charities’ educational programs. Kids In Need Foundation will use funds to build capacity within its network of 25 Teacher Resource Centers, providing free school supplies to the growing number of children and teachers unable to purchase what they need for the classroom. St. Jude will use funds to support the St. Jude School Program, which is staffed with accredited teachers and helps patients stay on track academically while undergoing treatments that can last months. The Salvation Army will use funds to support the educational enrichment of children and families during the back-to-school timeframe. The United Through Reading Military Program will use funds to help deployed military men and women stay connected to their families by sending DVDs of themselves reading books to their children and families back home. And United Way will use funds to help children enter school ready to learn, read proficiently by 4th grade and graduate on time.
The video cards encourage receivers to spread the love by sending additional cards to others. Participants can send a maximum of 10 video cards per computer per day, throughout the campaign. All votes and dollars allocated will be updated in real time on the Target Facebook Page at facebook.com/Target. The final donation allocation will be announced on February 15, 2010.
The three video cards participants can choose to send to friends, family or loved ones include:
Dance Theme
Football Cupid is accompanied by backup dancers, who perform an end zone celebration dance, which culminates in the reveal of the fan-chosen charity. To customize these cards, participants can select from a list of dance moves for Football Cupid to perform, including the Huddle Cuddle, the Robo Ref, the Grid Iron Love Gallop and the Angry Shoulder Pads.
Poetry-Inspired
Football Cupid reads “You’re My Instant Replay,” a football-inspired love poem. Think “roses are red” meets snap, scramble, sack. At the conclusion, the card reveals the charity chosen by the sender and encourages the recipient to spread the love.
Love Song
Football Cupid and his NFL-sized “Pips” take recipients on a musical Motown journey to celebrate love and giving, by performing “Super Love Song.”
About Target
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,740 stores in 49 states nationwide and at Target.com. Target is committed to providing a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to unique and highly differentiated products at affordable prices. Since 1946, the corporation has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs like Take Charge of Education. Today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week.