Burlington Coat Factory enters a third year as a National Retail Partner of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light The Night Walk®. Consumers can purchase paper balloons in Burlington Coat Factory stores nationwide between August 20, 2004 and October 11, 2004 for a donation of $1 or more to support the Society's efforts to find cures for blood cancers.

To supplement the funds raised by balloon sales, Burlington Coat Factory employees form Light The Night Walk teams, raising money at special events held in their communities. Since 2002, Burlington Coat Factory's efforts on behalf of the Society through in-store paper balloon sales and Light The Night walks have raised more than $465,000.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. The Society's mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

Paper balloons purchased by Burlington Coat Factory customers are proudly displayed throughout the register area of stores nationwide as symbols of public support for the Society and its mission. Light The Night participants walk in more than 260 communities throughout the country, carrying illuminated balloons and celebrating with food, music, and family activities.

"We are extremely proud to continue our role as a National Retail Partner of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society," notes Shannon Cavanaugh, Community Relations Specialist at Burlington Coat Factory. "These fund-raising efforts not only support and promote the Society's goals and services, but they are a great way to foster camaraderie and morale among our employees."

Burlington Coat Factory is a national retailer offering clothing, footwear, and accessories for the entire family, a specialty baby product department, Baby Depot, and Luxury Linens, a home décor department. The company and its subsidiaries own and operate over 345 stores, nationwide. Burlington Coat Factory, founded and incorporated in 1972, has been publicly traded since 1983, and is presently traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "BCF." Burlington Coat Factory can be found online at www.coat.com.

Statements made in this press release that are forward-looking (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) are not historical facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: general economic conditions; consumer demand; consumer preferences; weather patterns; competitive factors, including pricing and promotional activities of major competitors; the availability of desirable store locations on suitable terms; the availability, selection and purchasing of attractive merchandise on favorable terms; import risks; the Company's ability to control costs and expenses; unforeseen computer related problems; any unforeseen material loss or casualty; the effect of inflation; and other factors the may be described in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied will not be realized.