Millions Raised on National Denim Day

Instead of being a day to celebrate this long-popular clothing material, Lee Jeans' Lee National Denim Day is a way to raise funds to fight breast cancer. This year's National Denim Day was Friday, October 2 (October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month), and approximately 800,000 people across the country participated, raising between $4 to $5 million for research funded by the Entertainment Industry Foundation's Women's Cancer Programs.

Christina Applegate, who was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer in 2008 and whose mother is a breast cancer survivor, is the program's ambassador. In addition, her own foundation, Right Action for Women, will receive some of the funds raised.

Applegate, as quoted in this PR Newswire release, said, "I've created this foundation to help women at high risk for breast cancer get the advanced screenings and testing they need to beat the disease. By encouraging awareness and early detection, we will continue to make strides and save more lives."

Proceeds from Lee National Denim Day will help "find more effective, less toxic breast cancer treatments, develop a blood test for earlier detection of breast cancer when survival rates are highest, help the National Breast Cancer Coalition create online and print resources about breast cancer, and train additional advocates to educate patients and their families about new clinical trials."

If you weren't able to participate on Friday but still want to help, you can plan your own Denim Day. Go to the National Denim Day Web site to register, as donations will be accepted for this year's campaign until December 31.

Photo courtesy of Lee Jeans/PR Newswire