Photo: Courtesy AKIRA.
AKIRA, a Chicago-based fashion boutique chain, has partnered with the It Gets Better Project to raise money for the organization on its Facebook page.
From July 26 to Aug. 24, if a Facebook user “likes” AKIRA’s Facebook page, the company will donate 15 cents to It Gets Better, an LGBT youth advocacy group created by Dan Savage. When the promotion expires, AKIRA will take total amount of “likes” and subtract the amount it had in late July to determine the amount to donate — up to $4,500, according to Tony Patterson, of ShopAKIRA.com.
“AKIRA is a very socially conscious company. We love to find ways to support ideas and projects we believe in,” Patterson said of the company, which operates 17 locations throughout the Chicago area. “With It Gets Better we were drawn to their community-driven message of hope for a better future and really wanted to find a way to express to our customers how important the LGBT community is to us.”
Although the company could not yet share how much money has been raised for the organization, the goal of the promotion is to enable It Gets Better to continue their message of hope for LGBT youth, Patterson said.
“Perhaps more importantly than the money, AKIRA wants to stand with the LGBT community and lend our voice to the discussion,” he said. “The feedback we have received from people coming from all walks of life; young, old, gay and straight has been amazing.”
AKIRA maintains a diverse workforce and is a firm supporter of equality for LGBT people. Just this year, the company had its first float in the Chicago Pride Parade. Over the last 10 years, the company has donated to over 200 charities, including the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, and looks to support the Human Rights Campaign with proceeds from its Fall/Winter fashion show, which they estimate will attract nearly 5,000 people, according to Patterson.
Representatives from the It Gets Better Project did not immediately reply to a request for comment Wednesday.
Loading ...
