Ross Dress for Less, Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend team up for in-store fundraiser to help kids succeed in school
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Ross Stores is launching its 12th annual "Help Local Kids Succeed in School" fundraiser starting on Saturday to benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, including here in Central Oregon.
Customers at Ross Dress for Less locations in Bend and Redmond can donate at the register through March 1 to support academic programs for local students, the company and organization said in a news release Thursday.
The fundraiser specifically supports Power Hour, a program that provides homework assistance and tutoring for more than 4 million young people served by the clubs each year. To increase the impact of the campaign, the Ross Stores Foundation will match customer donations up to $500,000.
Donations made at the checkout registers will benefit local chapters of the organization. While 100% of the funds raised at each store stay with the Boys & Girls Clubs, 80% of that total is directed specifically to the club in that store's community.
In Central Oregon, contributions at the Bend and Redmond locations will benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend.
Gary Cribb, senior group executive vice president of stores and loss prevention for Ross Stores, said the company works with employees and shoppers to reach these goals.
"Ross is proud to host our 12th annual in-store fundraiser for BGCA in February," Cribb said. "The Ross Stores Foundation, our Associates and our generous Customers join forces to raise funds for clubs nationwide and help local kids succeed."
Cribb noted that the funds are designated for Power Hour, which serves as an academic support program to help students achieve higher grades. The program provides a space for children and teenagers to complete their schoolwork with the help of club staff members. Services are available both in person and virtually.
Michael Baker, chief executive officer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Bend, said the partnership has provided reliable resources for the organization over the last decade.
"We are incredibly thankful for the support the Ross in-store campaign has generated for our organization over the past 12 years," Baker said. "This annual support has enabled us to expand our homework assistance program, "Power Hour" to more of our members, more often."
The campaign uses specific donation tiers to illustrate how the funds are used. A $5 donation covers one hour of homework help for a club member, while a $10 donation provides a teenager with an hour of assistance with college applications. A $15 donation funds one and a half hours of science experiments.
This year marks the 12th time Ross has held the in-store fundraiser. Over the history of the partnership, the Ross Stores Foundation and its customers have donated more than $55 million to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Power Hour program.
The fundraiser will remain active at Ross Dress for Less registers through March 1.
