Goodwill® and The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. Mark the 20th Anniversary of the Goodwill Sale

Donation Drive is One of the Retail Industry's Most Successful and Enduring Campaigns

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Sep 09, 2014, 08:00 ET

ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries International is pleased to participate in the 20th year of the semi-annual Goodwill Sale with The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: BONT).

During the fall sale, which will take place from September 17 to October 4, 2014, The Bon-Ton Stores' 273 locations will accept donations of clothing and household textiles to benefit Goodwill. For each item donated, shoppers will receive a discount coupon for up to 25 percent off new purchases at any Bon-Ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson's, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's or Younkers store. These donations fund Goodwill's mission of helping people gain skills and earn jobs in their local communities. In addition to supporting Goodwill's mission, the Goodwill Sale is a great shopping event just in time to save on new fall merchandise. Customers can also visit MillionActsofGoodwill.com and spin the wheel for a chance to win a $100 Bon-Ton gift card instantly. One grand prize winner will be awarded a $1,000 Bon-Ton shopping spree.

The Goodwill Sale began as a local partnership with Boston Store and Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee), and gradually grew to include other Goodwill agencies and stores across the United States. In 2006, the promotion expanded to all seven nameplates operated by The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. In 2013, the sale introduced a new donating opportunity, allowing shoppers to give $5 at any Bon-Ton register in exchange for sale coupons. The donated goods and money collected support Goodwill's mission of helping people find jobs, build their careers and care for their families.

"Goodwill is honored to partner with Bon-Ton for the Goodwill Sale. Our 20-year relationship creates job training and placement services for people in our communities," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "I am most inspired by the leadership and innovation our teams put in to our donation collection and cause partnership efforts, which benefit people in the communities Goodwill, Bon-Ton and its other retail brands serve."

"The Bon-Ton Stores is proud of our commitment to helping people find jobs by supporting Goodwill's work," said Kathryn Bufano, president and chief executive officer of The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. "We are grateful for the generosity of our shoppers and are proud to be able to contribute to the economic vitality of our communities."

The Goodwill Sale has become a tradition for many shoppers at Bon-Ton stores and in all the communities in which Goodwill and Bon-Ton partner. In spring 2014, the Goodwill Sale collected more than 2.5 million pounds of clothing and textiles nationwide, with an estimated value of $10 million in revenue to fund Goodwill's mission services. In addition, the Bon-Ton family of stores across the country raised $482,000 in cash donations to benefit Goodwill. The combined positive impact of these donations equals approximately 344,000 hours of job training services in the communities where they were collected.

About Goodwill Industries International
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 165 community-based agencies in the United States and Canada with a presence in 14 other countries. Goodwill agencies are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,000 stores and online at shopgoodwill.com®. Goodwill also builds revenue and creates jobs by contracting with businesses and government agencies to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation, and document imaging and shredding. In 2013, more than 9.8 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services. Goodwill channels 83 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services.

To find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at http://www.goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl.

About The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., with corporate headquarters in York, Pennsylvania and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operates 273 department stores, which includes 10 furniture galleries, in 25 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson's, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's and Younkers nameplates. The Stores offer a broad assortment of national and private brand fashion apparel and accessories for women, men and children, as well as cosmetics and home furnishings. The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. is an active and positive participant in the communities it serves.

For store locations and information visit www.bonton.com. Join the conversation and be inspired by following Bon-Ton on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and the new fashion, beauty and lifestyle blog, #LoveStyle.

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SOURCE Goodwill Industries International