MINNEAPOLIS, Nov. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Target has created a special Thanks & Giving GiftCard to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. With every GiftCard purchase, $5 is automatically deducted from the original GiftCard amount and donated to St. Jude, and Target makes a matching $5 donation up to $1.2 million. Developed to support St. Jude's national Thanks & Giving fundraising campaign, the GiftCard comes in any denomination and is available at Target stores nationwide and at http://Target.com.

"We created the Thanks & Giving campaign to encourage consumers to give 'Thanks' for the healthy children in our lives while 'Giving' to help children everywhere who are desperately ill and battling to stay alive," said Marlo Thomas, National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "Target's Thanks & Giving GiftCard offers a great way for Target guests to give back this holiday season and touch the lives of children who are saved by the research being done at St. Jude."

The Thanks & Giving GiftCard features a colorful design created by an 11- year-old cancer patient who lives at Target House, the home-away-from-home that serves 100 percent of St. Jude's long-term housing needs. Funded by Target and by its vendor and celebrity partner contributions, Target House provides apartments free-of-charge to families of children whose treatments require that they be in Memphis for at least 90 days.

"Target's partnership with St. Jude is our top charitable outreach program and we created the Thanks & Giving GiftCard to extend our support throughout the holiday season," said Laysha Ward, vice president, community relations, Target Corporation. "The Thanks & Giving GiftCard shares the true meaning of the holidays and offers our guests a chance to give thanks and give back by supporting the life-saving research at St. Jude."

About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. No family ever pays for treatments not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fund-raising organization. For more information, please visit http://www.THANKSandGIVING.com/.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target Stores serves guests at 1,313 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today's best retail trends at affordable prices. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at http://Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target Stores, along with its parent company Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT), gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs.

SOURCE Target Stores
-0- 11/22/2004
/CONTACT: Kristen Ryan of PT&Co. for Target Stores, +1-212-229-0500,
ext.244, kryan@ptanaka.com, or Paula Thornton-Greear of Target Stores,
+1-612-696-3400/
/Web site: http://target.com
http://www.THANKSandGIVING.com /
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