SEATTLE, Wash. - May 17, 2001 - Nordstrom, Inc., in celebration of its 100th anniversary, donated over 22,000 items of apparel during a company-wide clothing drive in March and April. The clothing drive benefited over 75 different charities. Nordstrom chose to participate in a clothing drive in order to help support the needs of the communities where it does business.

"We're deeply grateful for the thousands of employees who participated in this event by donating their time and resources to serving those in need," said Erik Nordstrom, executive vice president of full line stores. "We hope our donations will make a difference and we're pleased to be able to support the efforts of so many outstanding charity partners."

"The tremendous support and enthusiasm we received from the employees at Nordstrom in Beachwood, Ohio generated donations of professional outfits for almost forty male clients who are now actively seeking work," said Jonathan Epstein, director of operations and development, Career Gear Cleveland. "With this interview-appropriate attire, these men are able to walk into a job interview with added self-confidence and self-esteem."

"This was such a natural fit for us-being in retail, we all have clothes in our closet that are in great shape and could be passed on to someone who really needs them," said Leslie Umagat, salesperson, Brass Plum (juniors), Nordstrom downtown Seattle.

Over 77 Nordstrom locations took part in the event benefiting charities in 24 states. Employees at the downtown Seattle Nordstrom store donated the most with 2,049 items of apparel.

Celebrating 100 years of service, Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 122 US stores located in 24 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 77 full-line stores, 39 Nordstrom Racks, three Façonnable boutiques, two free-standing shoe stores, and one clearance store. Nordstrom also operates 20 international Façonnable boutiques, primarily in Europe. Additionally, Nordstrom serves customers through its online presence at http://www.nordstrom.com and through its direct mail catalogs. Nordstrom, Inc. is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.