Campaign to Raise Funds and Awareness for Breast Cancer Research Reaches $7.5 Million Mark
 
  Napa Valley, Calif. (December 9, 2009) - Tough Enough To Wear Pink(TM) (TETWP), the grassroots cowboy campaign to fight breast cancer, celebrated its fifth anniversary tonight at the signature Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (Wrangler NFR) in Las Vegas. While pink is not typically associated with rough-and-tumble rodeo cowboys, the support of the western industry and rodeo fans was unmistakable as the sold-out crowd sported pink shirts, hats, bracelets and more.
 
  Through the combined efforts of hundreds of volunteers and regional rodeos across the U.S. and Canada, TETWP has raised $7.5 million since its inception in 2004. The money raised benefits local breast cancer charities and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which funds breast cancer research projects internationally.
 
  Tough Enough to Wear Pink was created five years ago when Terry Wheatley teamed up with former director of special events at Wrangler, Karl Stressman (now commissioner of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association) and issued a challenge: wear the color pink during competition at the Wrangler NFR. The idea was to bring attention to the need for breast cancer early detection and a cure. The industry rose to the challenge as cowboys filled the arena with the symbolic color.  Inspired rodeo fans began asking how they could put on TETWP events at their own hometown rodeos, and the grassroots fundraising took off, one rodeo at a time.
 
  The program is sponsored by Wrangler and Terry, Katie and Lacey Wheatley help rodeos and other non-rodeo organizations create the pink-themed fundraisers across the country.
 
  TETWP was founded in 2004 by Terry Wheatley, a California businesswoman who owns and operates Canopy Management, the Napa Valley wine company she started in 2008. One of the wines, Purple Cowboy, has been designated the official wine of TETWP, with a buck donated for every case sold (up to $50,000).
 
  “As founder of both TETWP and a wine company, I wanted to find a way that my company could help support the cause. We are donating a dollar a case and supporting TETWP events with wine whenever we can,” said Wheatley, a breast cancer survivor who is also a rodeo wife and mom.
 
  Purple Cowboy wines include Tenacious Red, a Cabernet/Merlot blend and Night Rider Merlot, both from the cowboy wine country appellation of Paso Robles. The wines are featured at Las Vegas resorts and casinos, and poured at a number of Wrangler National Final Rodeo events, including the George Strait Golf Tournament and the annual ProRodeo Women’s Luncheon.
 
  Visit www.purplecowboy.com to find out more about Purple Cowboy wines and check the blog for George Strait’s very own chili recipe. Purple Cowboy wines are available where wine is sold nationally and at www.winesisterhood.com.

 

Breast cancer awareness campaign receives special recognition in the October issue of “O” The Oprah Magazine

Napa Valley, Calif.  (October 8, 2009).  Tough Enough To Wear Pink, (TETWP), the grassroots campaign centered on the fight breast cancer against celebrates its fifth anniversary this year at the signature Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night on Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at the 51st annual Wrangler National Final Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas. Through the combined efforts of hundreds of volunteers, regional rodeos across the United States and Canada, and the title sponsor Wrangler, TETWP has raised over five million dollars since its inception.  The money raised benefits local breast cancer charities across North America and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which funds breast cancer research projects internationally. 

The Wrangler TETWP campaign also donates a portion of the proceeds from the sales of unique pink-themed TETWP products to the cause. The TETWP guitar is currently featured in the “Shop for a Cure” section of the “O” The Oprah Magazine’s October issue.  Created by famed Nashville guitar maker Simba, $25 dollars from the sale of every pink guitar goes to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  The guitar and other cause-supporting items are available for purchase on-line at www.touchenoughtowearpink.com.

TETWP was founded in 2004 by Terry Wheatley, a breast cancer survivor, rodeo wife and mom, and a California entrepreneur who owns her own wine company.  

“We wanted to find a way to tap into the giving spirit of the western community to raise awareness and money to fight the disease.  Cowboys love a challenge, and we gave them one”, said Wheatley.

Five years ago, Terry inspired the Wrangler NFR contestants to don pink at the professional rodeo’s biggest event to bring attention to the need for breast cancer early detection and a cure.  The cowboys and cowgirls created a sensation when they galloped into the championship arena ablaze in pink.  As the industry showed a groundswell of support, rodeo fans began asking how they could put on TETWP events at their own hometown rodeos. 

TETWP was created to support grassroots fundraising, one rodeo at a time by Terry Wheatley along with Karl Stressman, former director of special events for Wrangler and now current Commissioner of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA).  Terry’s daughter, Katie, and daughter-in-law Lacey manage the campaign, coordinating with rodeos and other non-rodeo organizations to create TETWP fundraisers across the country.
Terry Wheatley’s wine company, Canopy Management of Napa Valley, Calif. produces a portfolio of popular wines under the “Wine Sisterhood” banner.  One of these wines, Purple Cowboy, is the official wine of Tough Enough To Wear Pink with a portion of its sales going to the campaign.  Purple Cowboy can be found at retail stores, in restaurants and on-line at www.purplecowboy.com

About Tough Enough To Wear Pink?™ (TETWP™)
TETWP was created by entrepreneur and breast cancer survivor Terry Wheatley to bring the sport of professional rodeo and the western community together to rally against breast cancer.  Since its inception in 2004, TETWP has empowered rodeos in the U.S. and Canada to focus attention on the need for a cure.  To date, the campaign has raised more than $5 million dollars for breast cancer charities, much of which stays right in the local community. The grassroots movement has inspired other sports communities to mount their own TETWP campaigns, spreading a message of hope and support that reaches beyond the rodeo arena to competitors, families and fans across America. For more information on how to help, visit www.toughenoughtowearpink.com.

About Wrangler®
Wrangler is proud to be the title sponsor of the TETWP™ campaign. Wrangler® Western Wear apparel is available nationwide in specialty stores, including work apparel chains, farm & fleet, and western stores, as well as through on-line and catalog retailers. To find a retailer or for more information on the Wrangler family of products visit http://www.wrangler.com or call 888.784.8571.

Wrangler® is a division of VF Jeanswear Limited Partnership, which is an affiliate of VF Corporation. VF Corporation is a global leader in lifestyle apparel with a diverse portfolio of jeanswear, outdoor, action sports, image, sportswear and contemporary apparel brands. Its principal brands include Wrangler®, Lee®, Riders®, The North Face®, Vans®, Reef®, Eagle Creek®, Eastpak®, JanSport®, Napapijri®, Nautica®, Kipling®, John Varvatos®, 7 For All Mankind®, lucy®,  Splendid®, Ella Moss®, Majestic® and Red Kap®.

VF Corporation's press releases, annual report and other information can be accessed through the Company's home page, www.vfc.com.

About Wine Sisterhood™
Sisterhood is powerful!  The Wine Sisterhood is the world’s first wine company to connect female consumers with the creation of new wines through an innovative, interactive, online community.  Members of the Wine Sisterhood help guide brand development and engage directly in the process by participating in surveys and opinion polls and sharing their opinions and insights.  The result is an evolving, award-winning portfolio of wines with unique personalities, packaging, quality and value, including Middle Sister, pro-mis-Q-ous, Monogamy, Purple Cowboy, Good Daughter, Deep Purple, Little Chica, Cocca di Papa’ and Kate and Cassie.  Wine Sisterhood wines are available at fine retailers nationally and at www.winesisterhood.com
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*For campaign information contact Katie Wheatley at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

*For images or interview requests contact Jenny Dubberly at 919.277.1161 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).   

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 Tough Enough to Wear Pink Background Release
  Download in .pdf format

Contact Information:
  .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
  www.toughenoughtowearpink.com
  (866) 910-PINK (7465)

Are you Tough Enough to Wear Pink?

Tough Enough to Wear Pink was created by entrepreneur and breast cancer survivor Terry   Wheatley to bring the sport of professional rodeo and the western community together to rally against breast cancer.  Since its inception in 2004, TETWP has empowered rodeos and western events in the U.S.  and Canada to focus attention on the need for a cure.   To date, the campaign has raised $5 million dollars for breast cancer charities, much of which stays right in the community.  The grassroots movement has inspired other sports communities to mount their own TETWP campaigns, spreading a message of hope and support that reaches beyond the rodeo arena to competitors, families and fans across America.

How it all began.

In 2004, Terry was looking forward to attending the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas as she had for many years.  Her son Wade Wheatley was a consistent WNFR finalist in team roping (header) and her husband Jim had been a six-time WNFR team roping qualifier himself.  Terry was a senior executive at a major wine company sponsoring the WNFR telecast.

But Terry had recently undergone breast cancer surgery and, although things looked positive, it was on her mind.  She had lost her grandmother to breast cancer, her mother had a double mastectomy before the age of 40 and her daughter Katie had undergone two surgical biopsies before the age of 20.  What’s more, Karl Stressman,  Director of Special Events for Wrangler at the time and her close business associate, was dealing with its devastating impact, as his wife Val had struggled with the disease.

“It seemed as if everyone I knew was affected” recalls Terry.  “I felt a very strong need to somehow take action.”

Terry realized from her own situation that early diagnosis and treatment was key to a successful outcome.  She toyed with some ideas to rally the rodeo and western community to get that message across.  And then the big one hit.  What if, on one night of rodeo’s greatest spectacle, the competitors could be convinced to wear pink shirts?  Not a color normally associated with rugged events such as bull riding and steer wrestling, but that was the point.  That was how to make a statement.  Broadcast on national television, no less.  All she had to do was make it happen.  In three weeks.

Rodeo world to the rescue.

Finding pink cowboy shirts proved to be the next challenge.  Enter Karl Stressman and Wrangler who just happened to have pink shirts in production for the spring, 2005 line.  Problem was they weren’t scheduled to be delivered until the new year.  With a few strategically placed phone calls,  Karl arranged a special rush production of 200 shirts to be air-freighted directly to Las Vegas just in time for the rodeo.

Terry needed to get the challenge out to the cowboys – and fast.   The Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association (PRCA) jumped in to help,  disseminating information about the pink shirt campaign to the finalists.  Son Wade his part too, spreading the world to his fellow cowboys and cowgirls.

“I gladly accepted the challenge in support of my mom, but I sure couldn’t predict what the others would do.  After all, it was a pink shirt” explained Wade.

And he might very well have been the only cowboy wearing one that night.   Wade wasn’t sure – nobody was – if the world’s toughest cowboys would rally to the cause.  Would they be Tough Enough to Wear Pink?

That question was answered once and for all as the competitors and spectators turned the Thomas & Mack Arena into a sea of pink that night.  To the thrill of Terry, Karl and everybody who helped make it happen, one after another pink-shirted cowboys and cowgirls galloped into the arena sporting the color of breast cancer awareness.  The campaign received plenty of media attention, spreading the word even further.

Bigger and better.

By 2008, hundreds of western and extreme sports events across America and Canada have supported some form of Tough Enough to Wear Pink and other breast cancer fundraising and awareness promotions.   Wrangler is now the campaign’s title sponsor.  Additional partner support comes from Purple Cowboy Wines, Montana Silversmiths, Cowgirl Sisterhood, the PRCA, Las Vegas Events, Resistol Hats, Simba Guitars and others in the western industry.

A percentage of net profits from TETWP endorsed products supports breast cancer charities.  The national TETWP campaign “charity of choice” is Breast Cancer Research Foundation – www.bcrfcure.org.

Now retired from her corporate wine position, Terry has launched her own wine company with long-time business partners and friends.  One of the wines created – Purple Cowboy – supports the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign and is available in stores across America.

Terry’s daughter Katie and Wade’s wife Lacey are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Tough Enough to Wear Pink campaign as well as manage their family’s western boutique in their hometown of Hughson,  California.  It’s Tough Enough to Wear Pink central, as the Wheatley women coordinate the efforts of the efforts of the western industry partners to support individual rodeo committees, western and extreme sporting events.

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In December immediately following the TETWP night at the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo the following statement was issued to the press:

The western community shows its heart by wearing pink!

The Tough Enough To Wear Pink™  Campaign to raise money and awareness for breast cancer tops $5 million dollar mark in donations

Las Vegas,  Nevada - (December 15, 2008).   Tough Enough To Wear Pink Founder Terry Wheatley announced on Wednesday at the 50th Anniversary Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas,  that the grassroots cowboy campaign to fight breast cancer has reached the $5 million dollar fundraising mark, mostly through the efforts of regional rodeos and western across the country.  The monies raised stay locally to benefit community breast cancer charities and go to national breast cancer research projects.
  “This is the fourth anniversary of Tough Enough to Wear Pink at the Wrangler NFR.  Nobody could have imagined that together we would raise millions of dollars for the cause,” said Terry Wheatley. A breast cancer survivor herself,  Wheatley is an entrepreneur, wife and mother to professional rodeo competitors.  She founded Tough Enough to Wear Pink in 2004 with Karl Stressman, former director of special events for Wrangler and now commissioner of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PCRA).  Wrangler is the title sponsor of Tough Enough To Wear Pink.  Katie Wheatley, Terry Wheatley’s daughter,  is the director of Tough Enough to Wear Pink and coordinates with rodeos and other non-rodeo organizations to create the pink-themed fundraisers. 

Top Three TETWP Rodeo Fundraisers in 2008

 
1.  Fremont County Fair and Rodeo’s Big Wind Round-Up, Riverton, Wyoming —$65,000
 
2. Gunnison Cattlemen’s Days Rodeo, Gunnison, Colorado —$55,000
 
3. Black Hills Stock Show, Rapid City, South Dakota —$51,000

The small town of Gunnison deserves special recognition. With a population of a little more than 5,000 people, this inspirational community has raised a total of $210,000 to date, an achievement honored by Wrangler, who presented a matching check to help Gunnison continue their fight against breast cancer.
  The top non-rodeo fundraiser was the New Mexico State University Aggies who raised $850,000 in cash and in-kind donations for Cowboys for Cancer Research and Tough Enough To Wear Pink.