ST-JEAN SUR RICHELIEU, QC, Jun 3, 2005 (Canada NewsWire via COMTEX) -- Not long after dawn and a hearty breakfast, nine Sears Canada Inc. associates will mount their bicycles on their first leg of a 300 kilometre ride with one goal in mind - to collect funds for Opération Enfant Soleil (OES) and present a significant cheque at the annual Opération Enfant Soleil telethon in Québec City on June 5, 2005.

These nine intrepid cyclists from Sears stores across Québec hope to raise $100,000 to bring the company to its total donation goal of $1 million. Accompanying them from start to finish is well known humorist, Maxime Martin, and a motorcade of Sears volunteers including Claude Sénéchal, General Manager for Sears Canada in Québec.

"We hope that our customers and associates will come and cheer us on along the route," said Sénéchal. "We will also be collecting donations to help Québec children through the Opération Enfant Soleil program."

Beginning in St-Jean Sur Richelieu, the cyclists will take the following route over the three days, stopping at many Sears stores and Catalogue Counters along the way:

    <<

    Friday, June 3 - 91 km:
    St-Jean sur        Le Carrefour Richelieu   Departure
     Richelieu -       550 rue Pierre           time :            8:00 a.m.
     Sears              Caisse

    Beloeil -          Image Plus -             Approximate
     Sears Catalogue    256 rue Duvernay         arrival:         10:30 a.m.

    Sorel - Sears      Les Promenades           Approximate
                        de Sorel                 arrival:          2:15 p.m.
                       525 rue de Ramesay

    Saturday, June 4 - 88 km:
    St-Barthélemy -    Marché Jovi              Approximate
     Sears Catalogue    Croisetière              arrival :         9:00 a.m.
                       2000 rue Bonin

    Louiseville -      Tissus Sylvie -          Approximate
     Sears Catalogue    Sécurité Max             arrival:         10:00 a.m.
                       483 ave. St-Laurent O.

    Pointe-du-lac -    Station de               Approximate
     Sears Catalogue    service Sonic            arrival:         11:15 a.m.
                       850 ch. Ste-Marguerite

    Trois-Rivières -   2950 boul.               Approximate
     Sears Décor        des Récollets            arrival:         12:30 p.m.

    Trois-Rivières -   Centre commercial        Approximate
     Sears              Les Rivières             arrival:          1:30 p.m.
                       4025 boul. des Forges

    Sunday, June 5 - 127 km:                    Approximate
    Quebec City -      Place Fleur de Lys        arrival:          3:00 p.m.
     Sears             500 boul. Wilfrid Hamel

According to Sénéchal, members of the Sears cycling team will join him at the PEPS of l'Université de Laval in Québec City to present the company's donation to Opération Enfant Soleil during its 18th annual telethon.

"Sears Canada is a very committed partner of Opération Enfant Soleil," added Sénéchal. "Each year, we direct the majority of our charitable contributions in this province to the organization."

For the past six years, Sears and its associates throughout the province have supported the work of OES, donating in excess of $2.2 million to help the organization raise money for the province's pediatric hospitals. Every year, the company also fully furnishes and decorates the "Maison Enfant Soleil" which OES raffles off. This year's home was built in Chambly.

Sears Canada, an Imagine Caring Company, works with more than 300 local charitable organizations across Canada and has several national level partnerships. Sears Young Futures, the Company's community investment program, contributed over $4 million to Canadian charities in 2004.

Sears Canada, the retailer with the most extensive multi-channel network in the country, began serving customers in 1953. The Company has 41,000 associates and, in any independent consumer survey, ranks high in customer services, trust, respect and quality products and services. There is a Sears location within a 10-minute drive of 93% of Canadians and Sears is dedicated to providing them with quality merchandise and exceptional service coast to coast through its 122 full-line department stores, 218 off-mall stores, 64 home improvement showrooms, over 2,200 catalogue merchandise pick-up locations, 113 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair and installation network. The Company also publishes Canada's most extensive general merchandise catalogue and offers shopping online at www.sears.ca.

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Claude Sénéchal, Sears Canada Inc., (514) 236-4710;
Michael Bouliane, Sears Canada Inc., (416) 662-2245