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Saks Fifth Avenue Partners With charity: water

Posted on: Tuesday, 28 April 2009, 06:00 CDT

charity: water founder Scott Harrison and supporter Jessica Stam headline the retailer's campaign to bring clean, safe water to communities worldwide

NEW YORK, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- This spring, Saks Fifth Avenue will once again partner with charity: water, a non-profit organization that funds freshwater wells in developing nations for as little as $5,000. Last year, Saks raised over $500,000 for the charity, which aided in the construction of over 100 wells that will serve 37,000 people in Central America, India and Africa.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090428/NY06016 )

From April 22 to June 30, Saks will offer charity: water t-shirts, bracelets and well sponsorships nationwide. Model Jessica Stam joins charity: water founder Scott Harrison in support of the campaign, to be featured in Saks Fifth Avenue stores and catalogs, Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH stores and a dedicated area on saks.com.

"We have been extremely impressed with the charity's ability both to do great things and to show on their website how the money raised through last year's Saks campaign has led to the construction and completion of individual wells," said Steve Sadove, Chairman and CEO, Saks Fifth Avenue. "The momentum going into the second year of the campaign is even greater because we've already seen the difference our support has made to so many people."

The exclusive, limited edition t-shirts are made by Wet Cement. $35 from the sale of each $40 t-shirt, available in men's and women's sizes, will go to charity: water, providing seven people with clean water for five years.

Saks will also sell pairs of black rubber bracelets for $10, with 100% of the proceeds going to charity: water. Customers will be encouraged to keep one and give the other to someone they know, doubling awareness of the charity. Each bracelet represents the gift of clean water for one person for five years.

Finally, Saks customers will be able to sponsor an entire well for $5000. The donation will help a community of 250 people gain access to clean water for drinking, cooking and basic sanitation for 20 years.

ABOUT CHARITY: WATER

Since charity: water was founded and began activity in August 2006, they have funded the construction of more than 1.250 wells that, when completed, will provide clean drinking water to 650,000 people. charity: water uses 100 percent of the money it raises to directly fund freshwater well and sanitation projects in some of the poorest communities in Africa, India and Central America. More information on the organization is available at http://www.charitywater.org/.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

In August 2004, after a 10-year foray into special event planning and promotions business, Scott Harrison left New York to serve for a year as a volunteer photojournalist onboard the Mercy Ship Anastasis to impoverished Liberia, West Africa. Upon returning to his home in New York City in September 2005, he tested the idea behind charity: water by producing a large exhibition of his photographs and videos called mercy. Despite opening in the midst of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Harrison's mercy show was a success. Visitors contributed more than $96,000 towards providing medical procedures and freshwater wells in West Africa. In October 2005, Harrison returned to West Africa for another 6 month journey, before returning to Manhattan in the spring of 2006 to found charity: water.

ABOUT WET CEMENT

Wet Cement isn't just a brand of clothing; it's a way of life. Each piece is literally a work of art and a moment frozen in time. Wet Cement takes pictures and inspiration from events and happenings around the world. The images are then burned and created using a 500-watt halogen bulb, and rinsed out in a bathtub with a paintbrush and a garden hose. Each piece is then custom screened by hand on vintage, burned-out material, so each shirt is unique from any other shirt in the world.

The collection features T-shirts, hoodies, tank tops, vests, coats, thermals, and hats. Each person is faced everyday with the choice to mold something beautiful out of life, or stand by and watch while the cement hardens untouched. Our choices affect the future and anything is possible so leave your mark! For more information, please visit www.wetcementclothing.com.

ABOUT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

Saks Fifth Avenue, one of the world's preeminent specialty retailers, is renowned for its superlative American and international designer collections, its expertly edited assortment of handbags, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics and gifts, and the first-rate fashion expertise and exemplary client service of its Associates. Today, Saks operates 53 full-line stores in 25 states, 5 licensed stores in the Middle East and 1 licensed store in Mexico City, 51 Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH stores and saks.com, the company's online store.

SOURCE Saks Fifth Avenue

Source: PR Newswire

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