Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew Spreads Green Across America

SEARS BLUE LAWN & GARDEN CREW READY TO SPREAD MORE GREEN ACROSS AMERICA THIS SPRING
Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt Encourages Americans to Nominate Their Ball Field, Park or Playground for a Rehab Project from Sears

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (March 30, 2010) – Spring has arrived and as America thaws out, the marks left behind by Old Man Winter are being revealed. As warmer weather comes to town, hundreds of parks, playgrounds and ball fields are in need of a makeover. Who better to bring that much-needed makeover to life than the trusted experts with the Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew?

This spring the Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew is spreading “More Green Across America”— offering up a lawn and garden makeover for one deserving community, along with the products to help keep the space looking green for years to come. Recognizing the important role parks and recreational areas play in cities across America, the Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew is issuing a call for nominations and encouraging local residents to support their hometown candidates. Essay entries will be accepted at moregreenacrossamerica.com and Americans will help choose from among 10 finalists to receive the grand prize makeover project.

“Budget cuts have become an unfortunate reality for hundreds of parks and recreation departments across the country,” said John Froman, SVP and President, Lawn & Garden for Sears Holdings. “We know those needs include rehab projects in public spaces that are important to the children and families of many communities. The Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew is excited to find a project in need of our help and we look forward to spreading more green across America.”

“An outdoor space where families gather, play and enjoy the fresh air can be a vibrant community resource,” said baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, who has teamed with the Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew to kick off the search. “Some of my earliest memories as a baseball player come from enjoying these spaces in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio. I’m excited to partner with the Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew to help bring some green to a deserving community.”

Does your local park need sprucing up at the start of spring? Could the ball field in your hometown use some TLC before opening day? The Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew wants to hear your stories. At moregreenacrossamerica.com, you can nominate a venue for a makeover project by submitting an essay of 250 words or less and a photo showcasing the venue. Entries will be accepted from March 28 through April 16. Official contest rules are available at moregreenacrossamerica.com/rules.

America Picks the Winner

Beginning April 21, Americans can cast their votes for which park will receive the grand prize makeover. The Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew will narrow the field to 10 finalists for voting, allowing communities to rally support and cast ballots for a project that will make a difference in their hometown.

Each finalist will be awarded a lawn and garden prize package including a new yard tractor, mower, line trimmer, edger, blower and more from the Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew. In May, the Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew will visit the hometown of the grand prize winner and team with the community to bring the beautification project to life.

Everything You Need for Spring and Beyond

The Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew is doing more this spring than just delivering “More Green Across America.” The Crew has also developed helpful shopping tools that will make spreading some green across your own backyard a more efficient and enjoyable experience. The way to begin that experience is with a consultation from the Sears Yard Guru.

The Sears Yard Guru, available at searsyardguru.com, is the only online tool available that compares the large selection of products and brands available at Sears with those available at other retailers. Just answer a few questions about the size and terrain of your lawn, your feature preferences and your usage plans, and the Yard Guru will produce a detailed guide on the models that are right for you.

You can also get your questions answered through Sears.com’s click-to-talk feature, which puts you in contact with a Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew member. Mower and tractor specialists are on call to review recommended products and help you find the store closest to you with the model you want.

At Sears, you don’t have to compromise features for price. With the Craftsman Value Guarantee, you are assured that Craftsman Tractors and Mowers provide the most features for your money. Guaranteed. If you find the same or lower price on a tractor or mower with the same or more features currently available for sale at a national home improvement retailer, excluding online only offers and retailers, Sears will match the price and give you a gift card by mail. See sears.com/rebates for full Craftsman Value Guarantee details. No national home improvement retailer offers a larger selection of powered lawn and garden products than the Sears Blue Lawn & Garden Crew.

For more information on the full line of Lawn and Garden products available from Sears and to start shopping for spring, visit sears.com/lawnandgarden. To nominate a project in your hometown for the More Green Across America program, visit moregreenacrossamerica.com.