Charity Works: Vans Celebrates the Power of Creative Expression With Its Checkerboard Day + More

FN Staff
·6 min read

Oct. 28, 2020: Christian Siriano, Elaine Welteroth, Patricia Field and a lineup of celebrity stylists will be curating Housing Works annual Fashion for Action three-day shopping and fundraising event. The Fashion for Action features brand-new designer merchandise and apparel marked down up to 50 to 80% for customer’s perusing, with the proceeds benefitting Housing Works, a New York-based nonprofit helping the community combat against both AIDS and homelessness as well as providing support for LGBQT youth. The event takes place from Nov. 12 to 14 at its Chelsea location and online at https://eshop.housingworks.org with a special virtual kickoff event on Nov. 10.

Oct. 27, 2020: Vans announced its second-annual Vans Checkerboard Day that is coming up on Nov. 19. The holiday champions the power of creative expression and this year especially celebrates the power of creativity in helping address mental health and well-being in communities across the globe. In honor of the day, the brand will be supporting 10 charities from around the world with a $100,000 donation each, totaling to $1 million from The Vans Checkerboard Fund at Tides Foundation or via a direct donation from Vans. For fans, they can support the cause by purchasing a special-edition Vans Checkerboard Day t-shirt or set of Authentics sneakers designed by rVans brand ambassador and artist Geoff McFetridge at Vans.com.

Oct. 13, 2020: Veronica Beard is partnering with the Lung Cancer Research Foundation. From October through December, the brand will will be donating a portion of sales from every online transaction back to the foundation to help find a cure for lung cancer. The designers said, “We are proud to partner with LCRF this quarter for VB Gives Back. The reality that twice as many women die from Lung Cancer than from breast cancer is staggering. As women with family members or friends who have suffered at the hands of this disease, we are committed to helping find a cure.”

Oct. 13, 2020: On the anniversary of its partnership with Charity: Water, Uniqlo announced that it has provided clean water for more than 10,000 people around the world. According to FN’s sister publication WWD, the Japanese apparel and accessories maker used 100% of funds it collected from a 10-cent or 10-euro cent charge for recycled paper bags from customers in the United States and in Europe. The fundraising effort benefits the development of bio-sand filters in Cambodia, rainwater harvesting tankas in India, drilled wells with hand pumps in Malawi and solar-powered piped systems in Madagascar.

Oct. 6, 2020: Bobs from Skechers (the athletic company’s one-for-one charitable shoe line) has hit a new milestone. Recently, the team shipped out 105,000 shoes to kids in need in Lebanon, Romania and Nicaragua, bringing its total number of donations to 16 million pairs, since the project launched in 2011. Skechers has routinely stepped up to aid communities during crisis moments, and 2020 has brought numerous opportunities to contribute. Just this year, the brand has donated to victims of the wildfires in the West, hurricanes in the South, the port explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, and communities hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

Oct. 5, 2020: Bourbon lovers have another chance to get their hands on Wolverine‘s limited-edition Wolverine 1000 Mile Old Rip Van Winkle boots that sold out last week within hours of the launch. Three pairs of the boots (in sizes 9, 10 and 11) are being auctioned off on eBay now through Oct. 9, along with autographed copies of the book “But Always Fine Bourbon,” a biography of Pappy Van Winkle, founder of the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery in Kentucky. All proceeds from the auction will go to the MikeRoweWorks Foundation Scholarship Foundation to support skilled trades.

Oct. 5, 2020: Lifestride is honoring hardworking teachers with a major giveaway for World Teachers’ Day. Starting on Oct. 5 and running through Oct. 8, the giveback initiative will provide teachers with a total of 500 pairs of the brand’s comfortable shoes for free. To enter, you can visit the brand’s Instagram page or website to nominate a worthy educator.

Oct. 5, 2020: Nordstrom‘s give-back brand, Treasure & Bond, is partnering with nonprofit organizations in five regions to support initiatives that include housing, mental health services and job training for young people experiencing homelessness. The groups include The Ali Forney Center in New York City; Covenant House in Toronto; The Night Ministry in Chicago; YouthCare in Seattle; and Youth Emerging Stronger in Los Angeles. Previously, the brand’s beneficiary changed every year, and it has donated to nationally acclaimed charities such as the YWCA and Boys and Girls Club. “Our new strategy of partnering with smaller organizations in specific regions allows us to connect with the communities where we do business in an impactful way,” said EVP and president of Nordstrom Product Group Jennifer Jackson Brown.

Oct. 2, 2020: Reebok is donating 5% of all kids footwear sales from its United States-based e-commerce site to 10-year philanthropic partner BOKS (or Build Our Kids’ Success) to bring physical activity and wellness opportunities to more children. What’s more, the sportswear giant has joined forces with DSW to bring BOKS’ free physical activity resources to families and educators across the country. For every pair of shoes purchased at a DSW store or the retailer’s website, customers will receive a link to download BOKS fitness calendars.

Oct. 1, 2020: October is Black History Month in the UK. For the month, London-based luxury shoe brand Kat Maconie has partnered up with Black Minds Matter UK and The Loveland Foundation, two organizations that provide mental health resources to underserved Black communities. When using the code, WEMIND on Katmaconie.com, shoppers will not only get 10% off on their purchase, the footwear brand will also split the same percentage of the sale between the two charitable organizations.

Oct. 1, 2020: For its eighth consecutive year, Michael Kors has launched its Watch Hunger Stop campaign with the World Food Programme to provide meals to children in food-insecure areas. To date, the Michael Kors Watch Hunger Stop Program has helped the organization deliver 20 million meals to those in need. Titled Food Is Love – Share Your Heart, the 2020 campaign also features a capsule collection that includes a unisex white pocket T-shirt, $40, and a blue denim tote, $58. Both items are made from responsibly sourced materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester. For every tote and tee sold, the brand will donate all profits to the World Food Programme. Additionally, the campaign features Michael Kors’ own employees as stars of the brand’s annual charitable effort. Visit Michaelkors.com for more details.

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