Teens for Jeans

Aeropostale, a popular clothing company, is participating in its annual "Teens for Jeans" charity. The "Teens for Jeans" charity asks teenagers, Aeropostale's target audience, to donate their gently worn jeans to help out other teenagers in need. As a show of thanks, the company issues out 25% off of a new pair of jeans. It is the fourth year that the charity takes place, and it does not show signs of stopping.

            Aeropostale's annual "Teens for Jeans" charity is in its fourth week and the store in Laredo, Texas has already raised 250 pair of jeans. However, the numbers keep on growing every day. This charity began in 2007 and has been endorsed by many celebrities urging the youth of the United States and Canada to help those in need. The charity today is still being endorsed by celebrities and seems to be growing popularity. Celebrities endorsingthe event are being allowed to express themselves from PSA's playing in the Aeropostale stores to speaking out in interviews with various news media. This charity offers young people a chance to do something good for their peers.

            Last year's "Teens for Jeans" event was during the time of the devastating earthquake that took place in Haiti. As a result, Aeropostale asked for gently worn jeans. However, instead of donating the gently worn jeans to the Haitians, they gave brand new pairs of jeans for every single pair of gently worn jeans donated by customers. This year they are keeping the same concept, but with a bit of a difference. This year Aeropostale will donate 10,000 brand-new pairs of jeans to the homeless teens of America and Canada.

On the home front, the Laredo store is working closely with the high schools of both the UISD and LISD district. The managers of the Laredo store asked the high schools to leave a box, decorated with "Teens for Jeans" paraphernalia, so that any high school student or staff member can donate right there on the campus. Every week, a confederate of the local store goes and picks up what's in the box. The Laredo store last year raised 3463 pairs of jeans. Here's to hoping those numbers go even higher. Stop by and donate your gently worn jeans and receive 25% off a new pair of jeans. What could be so bad about that? Something to help out your peers and inspire the people around you to take action sounds like the perfect way of motivation.

            All in all, no one can force any one to take action and help out, but with an incentive like 25% off a new pair of jeans: who can resist that? You already get the current promotion on the jeans at Aeropostale, but when you donate your gently worn jeans, you get an additional 25% off! This maybe the fourth year it occurs, but it doesn't look as if it's going to end any time soon. So stop by any Aeropostale and take your gently worn jeans, the brand does not matter, and help out the young homeless people of America and Canada.

Mark Nix can be reached at

(marknix@dusty.tamiu.edu)