Kay® Jewelers is Proud to Support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®

Company Celebrates 14th Year of Partnering in Hope with Largest Donation to Date

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May 01, 2013, 01:44 ET

AKRON, Ohio, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Since 1999, Kay® Jewelers has been a proud supporter of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®. Each year Kay® coordinates annual giving campaigns to benefit the lifesaving mission of finding cures for kids suffering from cancer and other deadly diseases. This year the company's efforts have resulted in its largest donation to date: $4.8 million for the kids of St Jude.

Over the past 14 years, Kay® has raised more than $35 million to support St. Jude through various activities. These efforts have aided many programs at St. Jude including the expansion and remodel of the St. Jude cafeteria, now known as the Kay® Kafe, renovations to the second floor in-patient care center, patient registration area and Solid Tumor Clinic and the St. Jude/Washington University Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, which resulted in the largest-ever release of comprehensive human cancer genome data for free access by the global scientific community.

"Our partnership with St. Jude is a source of great pride and we are honored to assist this incredible institution with the amazing work it does," said Mark Light, president and chief executive officer, Kay® Jewelers. "With the support of our customers and the commitment of our team members, we look forward to continuing to help St. Jude make the world a better place for children."

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital opened its doors in 1962 with the mission that "no child should die in the dawn of life." Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas, St. Jude specializes in the treatment of children from all over the world and no family ever pays St. Jude for anything.

Located in Memphis, Tennessee, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is one of the world's premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other deadly diseases. St. Jude has developed protocols that have helped push overall childhood cancer survival rates from less than 20 percent when the hospital opened in 1962 to over 80 percent today. Today, approximately 5,700 patients actively receive treatment from St. Jude.

About Kay® Jewelers

Kay® Jewelers, the number one jewelry store in America, is conveniently located in malls and
off-mall shopping centers across the country. Akron, Ohio-based Sterling Jewelers Inc. operates Kay® Jewelers among its more than 1,400 stores in all 50 states and employs more than 19,000 team members. Sterling is a subsidiary of the Bermuda-domiciled Signet Jewelers Limited, the largest specialty retailer jeweler in the U.S. and the U.K. For a Kay® Jewelers location nearest you, call 1-800-681-8796 or visit www.Kay.com.

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Since opening 50 years ago, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has changed the way the world treats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. No family ever pays St. Jude for the care their child receives and, for every child treated here, thousands more have been saved worldwide through St. Jude discoveries. The hospital has played a pivotal role in pushing U.S. pediatric cancer survival rates from 20 to 80 percent overall, and is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted to children. It is also a leader in the research and treatment of blood disorders and infectious diseases in children. St. Jude was founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, who believed that no child should die in the dawn of life. Join that mission by visiting stjude.org or following us on facebook.com/stjude and twitter.com/stjude.

SOURCE Kay Jewelers