Caldor Corporation and Fruit of the Loom Make Donation of 'Callie' Bears to Hospitals.

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 16, 1998--Caldor Corporation and Fruit of the Loom announced today that they will donate over 2,700 stuffed toy bears to thirty-four hospitals in Caldor markets.

From November 29 through December 12, a portion of all proceeds generated from sales of Fruit of the Loom products in Caldor stores was donated toward the purchase of Caldor's exclusive stuffed toy bear known as "Callie". The bear donation is valued at approximately $25,000.

"We are pleased to have the opportunity to make the holidays a little brighter for children who are hospitalized during this season," said Susan Sprunk, senior vice president of marketing for Caldor Corporation.

"Our strong partnership with Fruit of the Loom, the support of our customers and the efforts of our store associates who helped identify participating hospitals in their local communities, made this donation possible."

"Fruit of the Loom is excited to add additional holiday cheer to area children who are unable to spend the holidays at home. We want to support Caldor communities and making the holidays happier for these children is one small way to help. We hope "Callie" bears will brighten the hospital stay for these children,"said Russ Fletcher, Fruit of the Loom's customer marketing manager.

Fruit of the Loom is a leading international manufacturer and marketer of family apparel including printable activewear, casualwear, childrenswear, sportswear and underwear for men, boys, ladies, girls and infants. The company sells products under the brand names Fruit of the Loom(R), BVD(R), Gitano(R), Cumberland Bay(tm), Screen Stars(R) and Best (tm). Licensed brands include Munsingwear(R) and Wilson(R). Licensed sports apparel is marketed under the ProPlayer(R) and Fan Gear(R) brands.

The Caldor Corporation is one of the largest discount department store chains in the U.S., with annual sales of approximately $2.5 billion and approximately 20,000 associates. It currently operates 145 stores in nine East Coast and Mid-Atlantic States. With a strong consumer franchise in high-density urban/suburban markets, Caldor offers a diverse merchandise selection including softlines, homelines and hardlines products. More information about Caldor is available on the World Wide Web at www.caldor.com.