Celebrities Rally The Nation to Put on Their Jeans and Help Lee National Denim Day Raise Millions for Breast Cancer Research

Merriam, Kan. (PRWEB) October 5, 2007 -- Today, thousands of people at nearly 45,000 locations across the country participated in Lee National Denim Day (http://www.denimday.com)® by putting on their favorite jeans and donating $5 to help raise funds for the fight against breast cancer. Donations are projected to reach between $4 and $5 million for the Women's Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (http://www.eifoundation.org). Proceeds will fund early detection and treatment research and community educational services for breast cancer patients and their families.

Cheering them on were 2007 Lee National Denim Day ambassadors on behalf of EIF: Actresses Mariska Hargitay (https://register.denimday.com//TeamWebPage.cfm?tid=24511), Gabrielle Union (https://register.denimday.com//TeamWebPage.cfm?pID=17044), and Kerry Washington (https://register.denimday.com//TeamWebPage.cfm?pID=17045), the cast members of NBC's "The Office" Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and B.J. Novak, and country music and television star Billy Ray Cyrus (https://register.denimday.com//TeamWebPage.cfm?pID=17046). Like many Americans, the ambassadors graciously donated their time to the campaign after breast cancer affected loved ones.

Lee National Denim Day, which has now raised more than $70 million in the past 12 years, is one of the nation's largest single-day fundraisers for breast cancer. Hargitay and Cyrus attended a special ceremony at Lee Jeans (http://www.lee.com/index.asp) headquarters where EIF President Lisa Paulsen accepted a check from Lee Jeans on behalf of campaign participants nationwide. Other special guests at the ceremony included Dr. Lee Hartwell, Director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Nobel laureate and chair, EIF's Women's Cancer Research Fund, and Fran Visco, president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund.

"The Entertainment Industry Foundation is proud to join Lee Jeans for what we believe is one of the most powerful grassroots fundraising events in the nation. Through this amazing fundraiser, we are proud to be funding leading research institutions nationwide to find better ways to detect breast cancer early and treat it with new and innovative treatment therapies," said Paulsen.

Net proceeds from Denim Day will help fund EIF's Breast Cancer Biomarker Discovery Project, led by Dr. Hartwell, to develop a blood test for earlier detection of breast cancer. Proceeds will also help establish the Lee Jeans Translational Laboratories for breast cancer treatment research and help fund grassroots education services through the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund (http://www.natlbcc.org/).

"Lee National Denim Day is about camaraderie -- millions of people coming together, symbolically wearing denim and making a small donation, that when combined, has a tremendous impact in the fight against breast cancer," said Liz Cahill, Director of Marketing and Communications at Lee Jeans. "It's thrilling to see the teamwork come to life on Denim Day when we announce the millions of funds raised."

Lee® Jeans is a division of VF Corporation. (NYSE: VFC). Headquartered in Merriam, Kan., Lee manufactures and markets brand denim, casual pants, shirts, fleece and knit apparel. VF Corporation's press releases, annual report and other information can be accessed through the company's home page, www.vfc.com.

The Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), as a leading charitable organization of the entertainment industry, has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support charitable initiatives addressing critical health, education and social issues. For questions about EIF's Women's Cancer Programs and information, visit www.eifoundation.org or call 800-426-0010.

Lee Jeans founded Lee National Denim Day (http://www.denimday.com), one of the largest single-day fundraiser for breast cancer, in 1996. This year, thousands of people at nearly 45,000 locations across the country participated and an estimated $4-$5 million was raised, bringing the 12-year total to more than $70 million. Celebrities involved in this year's event include Mariska Hargitay, Billy Ray Cyrus, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington and the cast of The Office.

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