Eastern Wears Blue Jeans to Fight Breast Cancer

Written by Ed Osborn

            Willimantic -- On Friday, Oct. 2, Eastern Connecticut State University will come together for a very special "casual Friday." As Lee National Denim Day moves into its 14^th year, Eastern is gearing up to participate in this grassroots program, which has raised more than $75 million for breast cancer research. Organizations across America will support this effort by putting on their jeans for a $5 donation to the Women's Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF).  Funds raised from participation in Denim Day will support:

·         Groundbreaking research at Lee Translational Laboratories nationwide to find less toxic, effective treatments.

·         Development of an early detection blood test in collaboration with the Breast Cancer Biomarker Discovery Project.

·         Grassroots advocacy work of the National Breast Cancer Coalition to help educate those faced with breast cancer.

In 2009, the program will also benefit the personal foundation of 2009 Lead Ambassador Christina Applegate of The Right Action for Women Foundation.  With this new beneficiary of the program, Eastern's donations will be working even harder to fight the disease.  In 2007, $405 was raised at Eastern, with the women's volleyball team organizing a tournament to benefit Denim Day. In 2008, $1,830 was raised, in large part due to several on-campus walks organized in support of Denim Day, as well as the generous contributions of private donors.

"We're always looking for interesting ways for our employees to get involved in important fundraising activities," said Kenneth DeLisa, vice president for institutional advancement. "Lee National Denim Day is easy and fun to do. Everyone gets to wear jeans to work in exchange for a $5 donation to help fight breast cancer, a cause that is very important to many of our employees."

"Each year, we are thrilled to see how many great organizations like Eastern Connecticut State University come together across the country and donate to make this grassroots program a continued success," said Liz Cahill, vice president of marketing communications for Lee Jeans. "This year is really special because we're able to give a portion of funds raised back to Christina Applegate's Right Action for Women Foundation, continuing the collaborative spirit this program has embraced for 13 years, and we believe now more than ever, people need to believe in the power of giving back."

To learn more about the exciting projects funded by Denim Day, visit www.Denimday.com.

Lee Jeans is a division of VF Corporation. Headquartered in Merriam, KS, Lee manufactures and markets brand denim, casual pants, shirts, fleece and knit apparel. A brand committed to the community, Lee Jeans founded Lee National Denim Day, one of the largest single-day fundraisers for breast cancer. For more information about Lee, visit www.lee.com.

As a leading charitable organization for the entertainment industry, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support charitable initiatives addressing critical health, education and social issues. Through its Women's Cancer Programs, EIF is funding some of the most promising breast cancer research, including Lee Laboratories nationwide focused on developing less toxic, more effective treatments and the Biomarker Discovery Project, a blood test for earlier detection of breast cancer.

For questions about EIF's Women's Cancer Programs and information about breast cancer, visit eifoundation.org or call (800) 426-0010.