Through the month of October, your walking into a Body Shop boutique or visiting The Body Shop on Facebook can make a difference for wildlife. [teaserbreak]Born Free USA, a nationally recognized leader in animal welfare, is one of three charities chosen by The Body Shop to compete for grants established by The Body Shop Foundation. Supporters simply vote online or in stores for their favorite cause between Oct. 11 and Nov. 1, and the organization with the most votes will receive a $10,000 grant. The second highest will receive $6,000, and $4,000 will be awarded to the charity that comes in third place.
According to Will Travers, Born Free’s chief executive officer, “We are grateful to be part of this generous and exciting initiative. We admire The Body Shop’s values and their distinctive approach to making a difference in the world, and we thank them for their generosity towards protecting wild animals. This is a fun competition for votes, but we all really do come out winners. We encourage animal lovers to vote!”
The three charities speak to The Body Shop’s core values of Animal Protection (Born Free USA), Defending Human Rights (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence) and Protecting the Planet (Rainforest Foundation) and provide an opportunity for the public to vote for the cause that they are most passionate about. This event honors the life and legacy of Dame Anita Roddick, the founder of The Body Shop, who was passionate about making a positive difference within our local communities.
Earlier this year, The Body Shop Foundation helped Born Free USA directly by generously supporting new enclosure construction at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in Texas, home to more than 500 primates rescued from laboratories, roadside zoos and private possession.
About Born Free USA
Born Free USA is a nationally recognized leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation and public education, BFUSA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and destructive international wildlife trade. BFUSA brings to America the message of “compassionate conservation,” the vision of the United Kingdom-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son Will, now CEO of both organizations. BFUSA’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at: www.bornfreeusa.org; twitter.com/bornfreeusa; and www.facebook.com/BornFreeUSA.
About The Body Shop Foundation
The Body Shop Foundation is The Body Shop International plc’s charitable trust that supports innovative projects across the world working for social and environmental change. The main objective of The Body Shop Foundation is to raise awareness of many issues and fund positive social change, to specific charitable purposes across the world. Its grants, focusing on small, grass-roots organizations at the heart of communities, aim to deliver a real and lasting positive impact and change.
About The Body Shop
The Body Shop International plc is the original, natural and ethical beauty brand, with more than 2,500 stores in over 60 markets worldwide. The Body Shop seeks out wonderful natural ingredients from all four corners of the globe to deliver products bursting with effectiveness, to enhance your natural beauty. By striving to use the planet’s resources wisely, The Body Shop searches for outstanding natural materials and ingredients from across the globe to include in its range of products. The Body Shop is proud to have been the first beauty brand to have brought the benefits of fair trade to the beauty industry through its own unique Community Trade program, to have introduced sustainable palm oil into its soaps, 100 percent recycled packaging, and to raise funds and awareness on key issues of the day, including the sex trafficking of the most vulnerable in our society, children and young people.
Media Contact: Rodi Rosensweig, 203/270-8929; rodicompany@earthlink.net