Sears Limited-Edition Shoes, Designed and Autographed By Patti LaBelle, Set for Benefit Auction on uBid.com
Proceeds to Aid New York City Women's Center Damaged in September 11 Attacks
Sears, Roebuck and Co. (NYSE: S) has teamed with uBid.com for a charity auction of 20 pair of limited-edition fashion pumps, designed and autographed by soul diva Patti LaBelle.
Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Women's Center for Education and Career Advancement, the New York affiliate of Women Work!
The Women's Center incurred significant damage from falling debris and ash resulting from the September 11 attacks on New York City. Both the staff and the women who frequent the center were barred from entering into the facility due to its location one block from "Ground Zero." Consequently, the center has been forced to temporarily suspend many of its vital education and job training programs at a time when such services are needed most.
Starting on October 18-November 1, 2001, uBid.com will be accepting bids for the Patti LaBelle designed and autographed shoes made available by Sears.
LaBelle, a self-proclaimed "shoe queen," owns more than 5,000 pairs of shoes herself. The Grammy Award-winning singer and humanitarian collaborated with Sears to create a limited-edition pump to benefit the Sears Fashion Takes Action -- Clothes That Work! program and its philanthropic partner Women Work! The program provides work-appropriate apparel, accessories and footwear to women transitioning into the work place from challenging life situations including homelessness, domestic violence and public assistance. Paired with recognized fashion editors, these women visit Sears stores across the nation to select work ready ensembles.
Unsigned versions of LaBelle's creative collaboration with Sears debuted in September in approximately 145 Sears stores nationwide. The fashionable pump goes easily from the workplace to an evening event. Available in black and camel and sizes 5-1/2 to 11, it retails for $42 under the Apostrophe label, a Sears private brand.
All proceeds from the retail sale of the Patti LaBelle designed pumps at Sears will be donated to Women Work!
Since its launch in 1998, Sears Fashion Takes Action -- Clothes That Work! has supplied thousands of new outfits to women nationwide, as well as donations of more than $350,000 to grass-roots philanthropic organizations serving women in need.
The participants represent the thousands of individuals served each day by Women Work!, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to empowering women from diverse backgrounds and helping them to achieve economic self- sufficiency through job readiness, education, training and employment. For additional information about Women Work!, it's local affiliates and the services they provide log onto .
uBid, a majority-owned operating company of CMGI, Inc., is a leading retail auction and e-commerce. With more than two million registered users, uBid is committed to providing its customers with the highest quality auction experience on the Internet, offers supplier warranties on most products and meets Better Business Bureau Online standards, giving customers the confidence and security to bid safely online. For more information, visit the company's Web site at .
Sears, Roebuck and Co. is a leading retailer of apparel, home and automotive products and services, with annual revenue of more than $40 billion. The company serves families in the U.S. through Sears stores nationwide, including approximately 860 full-line stores. Sears also offers a wide variety of merchandise and services through its Web site, .
SOURCE: Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Contact: Media, Monty Brown of 2wo One 2wo, +1-530-477-7399,
mbrown@212group.com , for Sears, Roebuck and Co., or Marie Alexander of Sears,
Roebuck and Co., +1-847-286-5060, malex05@sears.com
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