Newswise — COLUMBUS, Ohio – Nationwide Children’s Hospital and abercrombie kids, a division of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF), announced today, the start of their “Big Change Starts Small” campaign. The month-long, national initiative will benefit the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s.

Beginning tomorrow, July 1st, customers at all abercrombie kids retail locations across the United States will have an opportunity to donate to Nationwide Children’s at checkout. In recognition of their generosity, customers will receive a butterfly decal that will be placed on display in that store.

Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister and abercrombie kids have supported Nationwide Children’s for nearly 20 years and in 2006, Abercrombie & Fitch Co. gifted $10 million to the hospital. In their honor, the emergency room was named the Abercrombie & Fitch Emergency Room and Trauma Center. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. regularly donates clothing to patients in the Emergency Room and Trauma Center. Additionally, the retailer has supported community special events that benefit Nationwide Children’s, and associates are familiar volunteers with the Hospital’s fundraising organizations and events.

“We are so grateful for the continued support of Abercrombie & Fitch Co.,” said Jim Digan, president of Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation. “Their commitment to raise money in abercrombie kids stores in an effort to help kids everywhere means so much. Not only does it raise much needed funds, but this initiative also increases awareness for how our hospital can help families all over the country.”

“We are excited to launch a program to help spread awareness of all the wonderful work the hospital is doing for children everywhere. Our longstanding partnership with the hospital has helped thousands of children and their families, and with this campaign, we can continue to support programs that contribute to the health and wellness of children and teens,” said Fran Horowitz, President and Chief Merchandising Officer for Abercrombie & Fitch Co.

For more information, please visit http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/abercrombie-kids

About Abercrombie & Fitch Co.Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is a leading global specialty retailer of high-quality, casual apparel for Men, Women and kids with an active, youthful lifestyle under its Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids and Hollister Co. brands. At the end of the first quarter of 2016, the company operated 745 stores in the United States and 180 stores across Canada, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The company also operates e-commerce websites at www.abercrombie.com, www.abercrombiekids.com and www.hollisterco.com.

About Nationwide Children’s HospitalNamed to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2016-17 list of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric healthcare 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 medical staff of 1,100 and more than 10,000 employees providing state-of-the-art pediatric care during more than 1.2 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 Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. Nationwide Children’s remains true to the original mission since its founding in 1892 of providing care regardless of a family’s ability to pay. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.