NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wacoal, the leading intimate apparel brand in department stores, is proud to celebrate the 15th year of Fit for the Cure®, a grassroots initiative dedicated to the brand’s on-going mission of providing women with complimentary bra fittings, while raising money for breast cancer research and local support programs. Through 15 years of Fit for the Cure®, Wacoal has proudly raised more than $4 million dollars for Susan G. Komen®, and has educated hundreds of thousands of women about the importance of bra fit, foundation and breast health.
This fall Fit for the Cure® events kick off on September 2, and will last through November 13. For every woman who receives a complimentary fitting from a trained Wacoal Fit Consultant at a Fit For the Cure® event, Wacoal donates $2 to Susan G. Komen®, and an additional $2 for every Wacoal item purchased during the event. With more than 15,000 Fit for the Cure® events to-date, and more than 741,000 fittings across 411 cities in all 50 states, Fit for the Cure® proves that a simple gesture can make a huge impact.
“We are so grateful to Wacoal for 15 years of partnership,” said Komen President and CEO Judy Salerno, M.D., M.S. “Through their Fit for the Cure® program, Wacoal is reaching women in communities across the country, and is a key partner as we move toward a world where no woman will have to worry about breast cancer.”
In celebration of the 15th year of Fit for the Cure®, Wacoal is making it possible to make an even greater donation by utilizing social media. This fall, Wacoal will donate an additional $1 for each woman who photographs herself following her fitting with a special “I Got Fit” sign and shares on social media using the hashtag #IGotFit and tagging @Wacoal on Facebook or Twitter, or @WacoalAmerica on Instagram.
“Wacoal’s ongoing commitment to fit and style, coupled with our dedication to finding a cure for breast cancer, has resulted in a lasting partnership with Susan G. Komen® and the tremendous success of Fit for the Cure®. This program has become part of our brand DNA and is something we are very proud of at Wacoal,” said Bob Vitale, president and CO-CEO of Wacoal America, Inc. “As we reflect upon the growth of Fit for the Cure® and look to the next chapter of the program, we are thrilled to introduce this new social media initiative that will allow us to donate even more to Komen and contribute to the fight to end breast cancer.”
This fall, Wacoal aims to fit more than 30,000 women at 662 events across the U.S. and Canada in fine department and speciality stores and break the $5 million dollar mark in donations.
WACOAL FIT FOR THE CURE® THROUGH THE YEARS
Key Milestones:
| 1999 | The Awareness Bra is born—Wacoal creates a special bra featuring an embroidered pink Breast Cancer Awareness ribbon and a hang tag. Wacoal donates $1 to Susan G. Komen® for every bra style sold during the month of October, and $1 for every Awareness bra sold through the end of the year. | |
| 2001 | Wacoal inaugurates the first Fit for the Cure® event and begins donating $1 for every woman fit and an additional $1 for every Awareness® bra sold during the month of October. | |
| 2002 | Wacoal fits a groundbreaking 50,000 women. | |
| 2004 | Wacoal doubles the donation from $1 for every fit and bra purchase to $2. | |
| 2005 | For the fifth year of Fit for the Cure®, Wacoal sets a goal to reach the $1 million dollar mark for donations to Susan G. Komen® and succeeds! | |
| 2008 | Wacoal launches the Fi(gh)t for the Cure® campaign, featuring a powerful woman wearing lingerie and pink boxing gloves ready to “knock out” breast cancer, to reenergize women to join in the fight alongside Wacoal and Susan G. Komen®. | |
| 2009 | Wacoal raises over $2 million for breast cancer research and community outreach programs for women nationwide. | |
| 2013 | Fit for the Cure® enters Canada for the first time with eight doors at Hudson’s Bay. | |
| 2015 | Wacoal America celebrates its 30th anniversary. | |
| Wacoal partners with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) and increases to 22 doors at Hudson’s Bay. | ||
| Wacoal celebrates the 15th year of Fit for the Cure® with the launch of the “I Got Fit” initiative, which encourages women to empower one another through the message of finding the right bra fit. Wacoal also increases the donation to Susan G. Komen® with an additional $1 for every social media post using the hashtag “IGotFit” and tagging @Wacoal on Facebook or Twitter, or @WacoalAmerica on Instagram in the fall season. | ||
About Wacoal
Established in 1985, Wacoal America has built a loyal following with consumers and fashion insiders as the ultimate resource for quality bras and lingerie solutions. Their consistent focus on delivering innovative and fashionable product has earned them the number one position in department store brand rankings since 2005. Wacoal America offers the modern woman gorgeous styles and a comfortable fit to meet the needs of all body types and sizes up to an H cup. Through its longstanding Fit for the Cure® program, Wacoal America reinforces their commitment to issues vitally important to women by supporting breast cancer awareness, treatment and research. Now in their 15th year of partnership with Susan G. Komen®, the brand has raised over $4 million dollars through its nationwide Fit For the Cure® events.
For additional information on Wacoal, please visit www.wacoal-america.com or FitfortheCure.com, and follow along on Facebook @Wacoal, Twitter @Wacoal, and on Instagram @WacoalAmerica.
About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®:
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Komen has have invested well over $1 billion to fulfill Nancy’s promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.
