MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Southeast Wisconsin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE:KSS) announced today that more than 20,000 participants joined together in the fight against breast cancer at the 15^th Annual Susan G. Komen Southeast Wisconsin Race for the Cure on Milwaukee’s lakefront. Local presenting sponsor Kohl’s Cares® had more than 6,000 Kohl’s associates, family and friends who took part in the day’s events, making it the largest team for this year’s Race.

“Kohl’s Cares is proud to have served as the local presenting sponsor of the 2013 Susan G. Komen Southeast Wisconsin Race for the Cure in Milwaukee as we continue our help to provide valuable resources to local women battling breast cancer”

“Susan G. Komen is so appreciative of the thousands of walkers and runners who participated in the 15^th Annual Susan G. Komen Southeast Wisconsin Race for the Cure, our affiliate’s signature fundraising event,” said Nikki Panico, Southeast Wisconsin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen executive director. “The ongoing support and commitment from the local community, including local presenting sponsor Kohl’s Cares, is truly remarkable and allows our organization to continue providing support to Wisconsin women in need of breast health education and services and helps us fight back against breast cancer.”

“Kohl’s Cares is proud to have served as the local presenting sponsor of the 2013 Susan G. Komen Southeast Wisconsin Race for the Cure in Milwaukee as we continue our help to provide valuable resources to local women battling breast cancer,” said Michelle Gass, Kohl’s chief customer officer. “It is critical our mothers, daughters, friends and co-workers have the support and services they need at every stage of their battle with breast cancer. At Kohl’s we are passionate about making a difference in the fight against breast cancer and committed to supporting women and their families when they need it most.”

Kohl’s Cares’ role in the Race is just one component of the company’s commitment in the fight against breast cancer. Since 2010, Kohl’s and Kohl's Cares, the company's philanthropic platform, have donated more than $8.7 million to the fight against breast cancer, including more than $2.8 million to the Southeast Wisconsin affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure for educational programming that encourages women to take action for their breast health. The funding represents the largest corporate gift ever made to the Southeast Wisconsin affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

This year, to further raise awareness of breast cancer, prior to the Race Kohl’s placed pink superhero capes on iconic Milwaukee statues, including the Bronze Fonz and Gertie the Duck, reminding onlookers that everyone has the ability to make a difference in the fight against the disease. The caped statues are a part of Kohl’s “You Have the Power to Fight Breast Cancer” campaign created to celebrate the superhero efforts of everyone involved in the fight against breast cancer.

The 40 Kohl’s stores in the state of Wisconsin also showed support for the cause by participating in a “Pink Out” in which Kohl’s associates wore pink clothing the week leading up to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Kohl’s corporate headquarters and 14 Kohl’s stores in the Milwaukee area also have turned the Kohl’s store signs pink throughout September and October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The support of the Southeast Wisconsin affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure builds upon Kohl’s long history of charitable involvement in the communities it serves. Since 2000, Kohl’s and the Kohl’s Cares program have combined to give nearly $64 million to support charitable initiatives in the metro-Milwaukee area.

Kohl's Cares, the philanthropic platform of Kohl's Department Stores, is committed to giving back to the communities it serves by supporting kids' health and education nationwide, women's health and the fight against breast cancer, and environmental initiatives. Since 2000, Kohl's has raised more than $231 million for kids health and education initiatives through the Kohl's Cares® cause merchandise program, recognized more than 19,000 outstanding kids through the Kohl's Cares Scholarship Program and donated more than 2.2 million hours of volunteer time through the Associates in Action volunteer program. For more information on Kohl’s Cares, visit www.Kohls.com/Cares.

About Susan G. Komen

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Suzy, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer. Today, Susan G. Komen® works to end breast cancer in the U.S. and throughout the world by investing more than $790 million in breast cancer research and $1.5 billion in community outreach programs over the past 30 years; providing funding to help low-income and uninsured women get screened and get treatment; advocating for cancer research and outreach programs; and working globally in more than 30 countries. For the past fifteen years, Komen Southeast Wisconsin is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in the local community. They join more than a million breast cancer survivors and activists around the globe as part of the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancer. Through events like the Komen Southeast Wisconsin Race for the Cure®, Komen Southeast Wisconsin has invested $7.6 million in community breast health programs in eight counties. Up to 75 percent of net proceeds generated by the Affiliate stays in southeast Wisconsin. The remaining income goes to the national Susan G. Komen Grants Program to fund research of which Komen SE Wisconsin has invested $2.6 million. For more information, call 414.389.4888 or visit Komensoutheastwi.org.

About Kohl’s

Based in Menomonee Falls, Wis., Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) is a family-focused, value-oriented specialty department store offering moderately priced, exclusive and national brand apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty and home products in an exciting shopping environment. With a commitment to environmental leadership, Kohl’s operates 1,155 stores in 49 states. In support of the communities it serves, Kohl’s has raised more than $231 million for children’s initiatives nationwide through its Kohl’s Cares® cause merchandise program, which operates under Kohl's Cares, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kohl's Department Stores, Inc. For a list of store locations and information, or for the added convenience of shopping online, visit www.Kohls.com, join the discussion on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/kohls) or Twitter (http://twitter.com/Kohls) or get inspired on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/kohls/) and Instagram (http://instagram.com/kohls).