Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Announces Total Charitable Giving for 2004 Excee

BENTONVILLE, Ark., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With more than 90 percent of its charitable giving targeted at local communities, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. today announced that for its fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2005, cash donations through Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and the Wal-Mart & SAM'S CLUB Foundation exceeded a record $170 million.

"While we support many organizations and national causes, it has always been our goal to look for ways we can help improve the local communities where our Company associates and customers live," said Betsy Reithemeyer, vice president for corporate affairs for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. "At the end of the day, it is our associates who make it happen. They bring to us many of our grant recommendations, and in turn, volunteer their time to make a difference in their community."

Wal-Mart's philanthropic efforts last year assisted over 100,000 organizations, and overall, gave back $5 every second to support causes extending from disaster recovery efforts and educational initiatives to funding hospital equipment and treatment. Some of these efforts in 2004 included:

* Community Grants: In 2004, the Wal-Mart & SAM'S CLUB Foundation matched $61 million in grants for organizations in 3,500 communities, helping to support organizations large and small, from local schools, YMCA and other youth programs, fire departments, libraries and more. The Wal-Mart & SAM'S CLUB Foundation's matching grant program is only one arm of the dollars given year round to local community services. * Education: In 2004, 3,500 teachers and schools were honored through the Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year Program -- recognized as the largest teacher recognition program in the U.S. In excess of $4 million was given to schools in Wal-Mart communities through local, state and national teacher of the year awards. In addition to assisting teachers last year, Wal-Mart provided through its Sam Walton Community Scholarship program $6 million in scholarships to 6,000 high school seniors who began college in 2004. * Military Support: Last year, Wal-Mart partnered with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation (VFW) to provide 900,000 Communications Kits to servicemen and women that included free phone cards, writing paper and envelopes to help them stay in touch with loved ones. The Company also made it possible for customers nationwide to send messages through Wal-Mart in-store kiosks in support of our military men and women. * Disaster Relief: Communities in need can't wait. That is why Wal- Mart has given millions each year to cities and small towns needing help due to unforeseen tragedies. Last fall, more than $7 million was given to assist communities and associates in hurricane ravaged areas of Florida and Alabama. * Literacy: Wal-Mart is committed to furthering literacy efforts nationwide. The Company provided $6 million in support of 5,000 literacy programs in 2004, and referred over 21,000 callers to services through the Wal-Mart Literacy Hotline (1-800-929-4458). * The World of Medicine: Children's Miracle Network (CMN), a national organization that directs funding to children's hospitals across the country, has always been one of the greatest benefactors of Wal-Mart giving. Last year the Wal-Mart & SAM'S CLUB Foundation's provided $3.9 million in direct support of the Children's Miracle Network. In addition to this support, grants and donations raised through Wal-Mart and SAM'S CLUB stores nationwide gave $30 million to CMN last year. * Child Safety & Missing Children: Last year marked a milestone of 120 children being recovered as a direct result of Wal-Mart's Missing Children Boards. Since this partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children began in 1996, Wal-Mart stores have posted the pictures of more than 6,500 missing children, of which three out of four have been recovered. Wal-Mart also continues to promote Code Adam -- a program created by Wal-Mart 10 years ago and used today by other businesses. The Code Adam procedure immediately alerts all employees to assist in finding children that are separated from their parents in a Wal-Mart or SAM'S CLUB. * Volunteerism Always Pays: As Wal-Mart grows into new markets, so does one of the largest volunteer programs in the U.S. Beyond in-cash donations and in-kind giving, Wal-Mart's associate volunteer program - - Volunteerism Always Pays (V.A.P.) -- recorded 800,000 hours volunteered by associates in 2004. The program alone also gave $5 million to organizations where Wal-Mart and SAM'S CLUB associates volunteered.

In the 2004 Cone Corporate Citizen Study, 80 percent of research respondents were able to name companies they associated with good corporate practices, and Wal-Mart was mentioned most often.

More information about Wal-Mart's charitable giving per state and other causes and programs can be found at http://www.walmartfacts.com/ . More information about the Wal-Mart & SAM'S CLUB Foundation is available at http://www.walmartfoundation.org/ .

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. operates Wal-Mart Stores, Supercenters, Neighborhood Markets and SAM'S CLUB locations in the United States. Internationally, the company operates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, South Korea and the United Kingdom. The company's securities are listed on the New York and Pacific stock exchanges under the symbol WMT. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmartstores.com/ .