KOHL’S DEPARTMENT STORES AWARDS THREE SEATTLE-TACOMA AREA YOUTHS $1,000 SCHOLARSHIP FOR OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE

The Kohl’s Department Stores’ Kohl’s Cares® Scholarship Program honors nearly 200 deserving volunteers with $1,000 scholarships toward higher education. Four children from the Seattle-Tacoma-area were chosen from more than 35,000 nominees nationwide for making a positive impact in their local communities. Through the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program, Kohl's is encouraging promising youth to further their education at a time when college costs continue to rise and parents are relying heavily on federal and private student loans to fund higher education.*

Local recipients of $1,000 scholarships are:

Ellie Behn, 9, Lake Stevens – On a mission to ensure that no family or child goes without gifts at Christmas, Ellie held a toy and food drive that collected more than 900 pounds of food and more than 1,000 toys for families in need over the holiday season.

Tyler Gage, 16, Maple Valley – Realizing each person can make a difference, Tyler was inspired to start the 1-More Foundation, committed to helping others by collecting food and other supplies for non-profit organizations, like Relay for Life, Special Olympics and the Food Bank.

Elijah White, 8, Wenatchee – An avid reader, Elijah put his skills to use and held a One Boy Read-A-Thon, collecting pledges and donations of $1,700 for the Literacy Council of Chelan and Douglas Counties.

Winners are chosen based on initiative, leadership, generosity and project benefits and outcome. Each regional-level winner qualifies for one of Kohl’s 10 national scholarships, which will be announced at the end of July. National winners will each receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships and Kohl’s will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on each national winner’s behalf. In total, Kohl’s will recognize more than 2,300 young volunteers with more than $400,000 in scholarships and prizes.

In 2013, Kohl’s celebrates its 13th year of rewarding young volunteers. Since the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program began in 2001, Kohl’s has recognized more than 19,000 kids, including the 2013 winners, with more than $3.9 million in scholarships and prizes.

 The Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program is part of Kohl’s Cares, Kohl’s philanthropic program focused on improving the lives of children. For more information on the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program visit kohlskids.com.