October 8, 2010
Since its inception in 1996, Lee National Denim Day has adhered to a simple philosophy: one day, one cause, one cure®. In 14 years, that philosophy has become a mantra for millions and has made an impact Lee Jeans never dreamed possible.
It all started when several Lee Jeans employees realized that each of them, in one form or another, had been touched by breast cancer. An everyday conversation sparked an idea and led to the creation of Lee National Denim Day, which has become one of the largest single-day fundraisers nationwide for breast cancer.
In its first year, Lee Jeans set a goal of raising $1 million on Lee National Denim Day. To do this, Lee Jeans invited companies to go casual for a cause, inviting employees to wear their jeans to work on Denim Day in exchange for a $5 contribution to the fight against breast cancer. The underlying concept behind the program was simple – by convincing enough people to take one small step, together they could reach an incredible goal.
The response to the inaugural Lee National Denim Day program was astounding. That year, more than 3,000 companies signed up to participate, raising $1.4 million dollars for the fight against breast cancer, setting the stage for what would become one of the most captivating social action campaigns in the country.
Since its first year, Lee National Denim Day has raised nearly $80 million for the fight against breast cancer and unites nearly one million supporters nationwide each year.
Click here to sign up!
Ronald Cohen has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of United Cerebral Palsy of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties since 1987. Under his leadership the organization has grown from a $6 million single corporation into a $42 million non-profit with 26 subsidiary corporations. Cohen orchestrated and led the acquisition and merger of 5 similar companies into the UCP family of organizations and established a not-for-profit company in Indonesia, which manufacturers wheelchairs and distributes them to poor
President and Chief Executive Officer of LA’s BEST (Better Educated Students for Tomorrow) After School Enrichment Program for 22 years, Carla Sanger, M.Ed. has been a specialist in children’s education policy and advocacy for more than 40 years in the public and private sectors. Over the course of her career, she has been a public school teacher, curriculum writer, supervisor of day care services for the state of New Jersey, Executive Director of LA Child Care & Development Council, President of the California Children’s Council and co-chair of the California State Department of Education Task Force on School Readiness.