Big Lots Engages Customers with On Our Sleeves® Movement; Supports Nationwide Children's Hospital's Efforts to Break the Stigma Surrounding Children's Mental Health

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Big Lots announced today the launch of its annual fall point-of-sale campaign that will benefit Nationwide Children's Hospital. Now through Sunday, October 25, customers can donate $1, $2, $5, or more at checkout. One hundred percent of the dollars raised go toward making sure every community in America has access to free educational resources for parents and families to promote mental wellness and break stigmas.

"Big Lots is proud to partner with Nationwide Children's Hospital to lead the way with the On Our Sleeves movement to transform children's mental health," said Bruce Thorn, Big Lots president and CEO. "Over the past five years, our customers and associates have helped us raise nearly $23 million to support the behavioral health care and research taking place at Nationwide Children's Hospital."

As part of their donation, Big Lots customers will have an opportunity to sign a note of support for all who are living with a mental and/or behavioral health condition. These brief letters of kindness will decorate Big Lots stores throughout the campaign, including World Mental Health Day on Saturday, October 10.

New to Big Lots' annual service to Nationwide Children's, this year's efforts will also engage customers with the On Our Sleeves® movement. On Our Sleeves is the movement to transform children's mental health and aims to provide every community in America with free resources to break the stigma surrounding child mental health. Launched on October 10, 2018, all materials provided by On Our Sleeves are created by behavioral health professionals at Nationwide Children's, home to the nation's largest mental health treatment and research program.

"For several years, Big Lots has been an unwavering partner to Nationwide Children's Hospital as we continue to strive for best outcomes in pediatric mental health care and research," said Steve Testa, president, Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation. "We are grateful and excited that Big Lots and its customers have joined us on this journey to break the stigma and elevate the conversation surrounding child mental health and wellness."

Big Lots and the Big Lots Foundation have been strong advocates of the hospital's mission to be the leader in pediatric mental and behavioral health wellness, care, and research. In 2016, Big Lots and its foundation committed $50 million to support the building of the Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion, which celebrated its opening this past March. The Pavilion is the largest freestanding facility fully dedicated to children and adolescents with behavioral health conditions on a pediatric medical campus in the country.

Big Lots also is partnering with Nationwide Children's and On Our Sleeves for the Butterfly Run, a family fitness event created to help bring awareness to childhood behavioral and mental health. Due to COVID-19, this year's event is going virtual. Learn more and get involved at butterflyrun.org.

To learn more about the campaign or to make a donation online, visit give.nationwidechildrens.org/biglots.

About Big Lots, Inc.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Big Lots, Inc. (NYSE: BIG) is a neighborhood discount retailer operating 1,409 stores in 47 states, as well as a best-in-class ecommerce platform with expanded capabilities via BOPIS, curbside pickup, Instacart and, now, PICKUP with same day delivery. The company's product assortment is focused on home essentials: Furniture, Seasonal, Soft Home, Food, Consumables, Hard Home, and Electronics, Toys & Accessories. Big Lots' mission is to help people Live BIG and Save Lots. The company strives to be the BIG difference for a better life by delivering unmatched value to customers through surprise and delight, being a "best place to work" culture for associates, rewarding shareholders with consistent growth and top-tier returns, as well as doing good in local communities. For more information about the company, visit www.biglots.com.

About Nationwide Children's Hospital

Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report's 2020-21 list of "Best Children's Hospitals," Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of America's largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric health care systems providing wellness, preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care for infants, children and adolescents, as well as adult patients with congenital disease. Nationwide Children's has a staff of more than 13,000 providing state-of-the-art pediatric care during more than 1.6 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children's physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.

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SOURCE Big Lots, Inc.