- Kenneth Hein

Sears is encouraging consumers to help grant the holiday wishes of 29,000 members of our active military under its “Heroes at Home Wish Registry.” Beginning today, Veteran’s Day, consumers can go to Sears.com or in-store to purchase gift cards for the families of servicemen and women who are currently overseas or experiencing hard times.

To promote the effort, MyNetworkTV is running a two-hour, Sears-sponsored Heroes at Home special tonight at 8 p.m. Hosted by Howie Long, the special tells of the stories of six service members who share their experiences in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

The military effort, which runs through Dec. 24, dovetails with Sears’ new “Don’t just give a gift. Grant a wish.” ad campaign which debuted last week. Spots feature a series of vignettes, including Ty Pennington receiving his first toolbox and L.L. Cool J getting his first turntable from his grandfather (the rapper launched his fall line with Sears earlier this year). Y&R, Chicago, created the TV and print effort.

Beginning Sunday, consumers also can go to Sears.com to partake in its “Golden Wish Ticket” holiday promotion. They can win up to $1 million in prizes.

“Individual gifts can change a person’s life,” said Tom Aiello, a Sears Holdings rep. While the ads” lionize the idea,” the Heroes at Home Wish Registry allows consumers “to make a difference in the lives of military families.”

Like many retailers, Sears has been struggling with sales. The effort is the first under new CMO Don Hamblen.

The retailer spent $262 million on U.S. media January through August (not including online), per Nielsen Monitor-Plus after spending $515 million in 2007.