Locally, Wal-Mart and Sam's Club associates collected $127,316 in donations that will benefit patients and their families at UI Children's Hospital in Iowa City. Associates, customers and members in stores throughout Iowa, western Illinois, southern Minnesota, and northern Missouri bought special Miracle balloons for $1 each in May to help fund life-saving care at UI Children's Hospital.

"Wal-Mart and Sam's Club associates continue to be amazing partners with UI Children's Hospital," said Lisa Baum, director of Children's Miracle Network at UI Children's Hospital. "Their enthusiasm for raising funds for our children's hospital during the May campaign was truly inspiring. We could not help as many children and families as we do if it weren't for the support of our friends at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club."

On May 31, in-store 20th anniversary celebrations went on in Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Clubs throughout the country. The Wal-Mart in Coralville held this celebration alongside two miracle families. The event included a guest appearance from UI assistant wrestling coach Dan Gable, who greeted the crowd and thanked everyone for the tremendous effort in fundraising during May to support hospitalized children and their families.

Marie Osmond, LeAnn Rimes, Mary Lou Retton and Lauren Nelson, the reigning Miss America, also lent their support of the month-long celebration by traveling across the country, visiting stores and clubs, and speaking to the media to raise awareness about Children's Miracle Network hospitals.

"May was a remarkable month for Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and the Children's Miracle Network," said Pat Curran, executive vice president of Wal-Mart Stores People Division. "We always set ambitious goals at Wal-Mart, but $10 million in one month was a record-breaker, even for us. Thanks to our associates and customers, children across the country will get the care they need and deserve. Our success with this fundraising campaign is just one example of how Wal-Mart associates and customers have a positive impact on the world."

In 1987, moved by a desire to impact the medical needs of children, Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, partnered with Children's Miracle Network. As evidenced by May's activities, Wal-Mart and Children's Miracle Network continue to celebrate that decision and the impact it has had on children throughout North America. In total, Wal-Mart associates have raised more than $387 million for children's hospitals since 1987, and that number continues to grow as 1.3 million associates in more than 4,000 locations support Children's Miracle Network.

University of Iowa Children's Hospital serves children and their families at its main campus in Iowa City and satellite clinics in communities throughout Iowa. A 165-bed "hospital within a hospital," UI Children's Hospital benefits from the sophisticated services and comprehensive resources of UI Hospitals and Clinics. Child magazine ranks UI Children's Hospital among the top 20 children's hospitals in the nation.

Nationally, Children's Miracle Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving and improving the lives of children by raising funds for children's hospitals across North America. Each year the 170 Children's Miracle Network hospitals provide the finest medical care, life-saving research and preventative education to help millions of kids overcome diseases and injuries of every kind.

Wal-Mart and its Foundation are committed to a philosophy of giving back locally. Wal-Mart is proud to support the causes that are important to customers and associates right in their own neighborhoods, and last year gave more than $270 million to local communities in the United States.

For more information:

Children's Miracle Network

Children's Miracle Network National

UI Children's Hospital

Wal-Mart

Sam's Club

Wal-Mart Foundation