Well Levi’s rolled out the red carpet blue carpet today at 525 Castro this afternoon in honor of San Francisco First Lady Jennifer Siebel Newsom (a “de facto fashion diplomat“) and Supervisor Bevan Dufty. They were on the scene to promote Levi’s “Five Oh One Day” (also known as May Day in some parts of the world).
The deal is that you can bring in a pair of your old jeans to donate to GoodWill and then get a 25% discount off the price of a new pair of Levi’s. Your deadline to get this done is May 10, 2009. Details below.
JSN alights from a brand new, Tesla Roadster electirc car on her way to the denim blue carpet. Click to expand:
It was all smiles as a scrum of paparazzi followed Supervisor Bevan Dufty (who pulled out his pink wallet to make a donation of his own) and Co. into the store.
The Levi’s® Brand and Goodwill Ask Consumers to “Give Jeans”
Jeans Exchange Program to Kick Off Levi Strauss & Co.’s “501 Day”
When shoppers “give jeans” of any brand at select Levi’s® stores nationwide between May 1 and May 10, they will receive a 25 percent discount off a new pair of Levi’s® jeans. The denim collected during Levi’s® “Give Jeans” campaign will be donated to Goodwill Industries® to be sold in local Goodwill® stores. Jeans are the top-selling apparel product in Goodwill stores, and revenues from the sales will help fund Goodwill job training programs that benefit hundreds of thousands of people each year. The “Give Jeans” program is part of Levi Strauss & Co.’s long-standing commitment to community involvement and is intended to encourage customer participation in Levi’s® annual “501® Day.”
“Supporting local community organizations and helping people in need are important parts of Levi Strauss & Co.’s corporate citizenship agenda and date all the way back to our founder, Levi Strauss, who was both a smart businessman and major contributor to local organizations that served people in need,” says Joelle Maher, Senior Vice President, Levi’s® Retail Operations. “Partnering with Goodwill Industries is exciting because it gives consumers the opportunity to join in this tradition by donating their gently used jeans to support Goodwill’s job training and career advancement programs.”
“When you donate your jeans to Levi’s®, you are ensuring that job seekers in your local community are finding a job that meets their interests and abilities,” says Jim Gibbons, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “The partnership with Levi’s® generates revenues to provide job training while allowing consumers to benefit from great savings on new Levi’s® jeans at the same time.”
For the second year in a row, the Levi® Brand’s partnership with Goodwill Industries is part of Levi’s® annual “501® Day” activities, encouraging employees and consumers across the country to do what they can to support people and community organizations in need.
Held each year on May 1 (5/01), the name “501® Day” is adopted from the classic 501® jean, which was invented by Levi Strauss & Co. in 1873. On May 1, hundreds of employees from Levi Strauss & Co. headquarters and offices around the world will volunteer with nonprofit organizations in their local communities. Cash grants donated on 501® Day (aka “Community Day”) since its inception nine years ago now total more than $1.64 million.
At the Levi’s® flagship store on Union Square in San Francisco, Goodwill assistant store managers will “shadow” Levi’s® retail employees to learn about everything from store operations and greeting customers to stocking the displays. The Goodwill managers, who also train program participants for jobs in the retail industry, will apply their lessons learned in job training programs.
About Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is one of the world’s largest branded apparel companies and the global leader in jeanswear, marketing its products in more than 110 countries worldwide. The company designs and markets jeans, casual wear and related accessories for men, women and children under the Levi’s®, Dockers® San Francisco and Signature by Levi Strauss & Co.™ brands. For more information, go to http://levistrauss.com.
Community Involvement at Levi Strauss & Co.
Employee community involvement is an important part of Levi Strauss & Co.’s culture and history. Levi Strauss was a businessman and philanthropist who was deeply involved in his community. His work and commitment have been carried forward by Levi Strauss & Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation for more than 156 years. Through matching-gift programs, company-supported group and individual volunteering programs, paid time off to volunteer and other initiatives, the company and the Levi Strauss foundation offer employees and retirees a variety of ways to make a difference in their local communities. Employees in 43 countries will take a day away from work in the month of May to assist local community organizations and the company’s foundation will recognize the efforts with cash grants. In 2008 LS&CO. employees around the world volunteered on 167 projects and the foundation made nearly $300,000 in grants to recognize employee’ donations of time and talent.
About Goodwill Industries
Goodwill Industries International is a network of 184 community-based, independent member organizations in the United States, Canada, and 14 other countries. Each organization serves people with disabilities, people who lack education or job experience, low-wage workers and other job seekers by providing education and career services, as well as job placement opportunities and post-employment support. To pay for its programs, Goodwill sells donated clothes and other household items in more than 2,200 retail stores, and online at www.shopgoodwill.com, the first Internet nonprofit auction site. Through its services, the network helps people who are having a hard time finding employment become independent, tax-paying members of their communities. Goodwill Industries International channels 84 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services. For more information about Goodwill Industries visit www.goodwill.org. To find your local Goodwill, use the online locator or call (800) 664-6577
Levi's stores participating in "Give Jeans" program:
Chicago area:
600 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, (312) 642-9613
808 Church Street, Evanston, (847) 733-2914
1552 North Milwaukee Ave, Bucktown, (773) 486-3900
5 Woodfield Shopping Center, Schaumberg, (847) 619-0655
Los Angeles area:
1409 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, (310) 393-4899
Westfield Topanga Mall, Canoga Park, (818) 274-0283
186 W. Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks, (805) 373-3800
New York City:
750 Lexington Avenue, (212) 826-5957
536 Broadway, SOHO, (646) 613-1847
25 W. 14th Street, (212) 242-2128
1501 Broadway, Times Square, (212) 944-8555
San Francisco:
Union Square Flagship Store, (415) 501-0100
525 Castro Street, (415) 255-6726
