Brighton Collectibles selling jewelry to bring clean water

Tag : beaded footwear

Hot on the heels of its extremely successful shoe drive BrightonCollectibles is continuing its tradition of creating jewelry tosupport organizations that empower women by introducing a limited-edition necklace, bracelet and earrings featuring Kazuri Beads thatare hand-made by women in Kenya, Africa.

Between June 27 and July 27, Brighton Collectibles stores acrossthe nation  including its location at Coconut Point  will beselling the jewelry collection created by Brightons team ofin-house designers using beads made by Kazuri, Ltd.

The organization was started by an Englishwoman, Lady Susan Wood,to improve the lives of women and their families in Kenya. In acountry where one job holder often provides for an extended familyof 20, Kazuri employs over 250 local, disadvantaged women, offeringthem fair wages in an area of high unemployment.

Proceeds from the sale of the Kazuri Bead collection will fundanother important need in Africa: clean water. BrightonCollectibles will donate $15 from the sale of every $69 Kazuri Beadnecklace, $10 from every $50 Kazuri Bead bracelet and $5 from every$36 Kazuri Bead earrings to organizations that provide clean waterand basic sanitation to impoverished communities in Kenya.

Clean water is something most of us take for granted. We simplyturn on the tap and water comes out, clean. Yet more than 1.1billion people on the planet --- one out of every six --- do nothave access to this most basic human need.

As Brightons founder and owner, Jerry Kohl explains,

"I recently visited Kenya to experience first-hand how this crisisaffects the people there, and I was overwhelmed by just how muchneed exists in this developing country," said Jerry Kohl,Brighton's founder and owner. "Clean drinking water is unavailableto 40 percent of the population, and a number of the region'shospitals are without clean water as well."

To immediately help alleviate this suffering, Brighton partneredwith non-profit organizations to build freshwater wells for 10hospitals in Kenyan villages where they are most needed.charity:water, who recently partnered with the Bonita Springs-basedCity Mattress and its president Marc Schiller in a MountKilimanjaro climb, is one of the non-profits.

In just under two years since its inception, charity:water hasfunded more than 600 projects, building wells, rainwater catchmentsand bio sand filters in 11 nations. Those projects will help morethan 250,000 people gain access to clean drinking water.

To raise awareness and funds for this important cause, all 125Brighton Collectibles stores will also be selling bottles ofBrighton water for $20 and water awareness wrist bands for $5throughout the month of July. A full 100 percent of the proceedsfrom the sale of those items will go to support charity:water'sefforts to build freshwater wells in Kenyan villages where they aremost needed. A $20 donation can provide one person with access toclean water for 20 years.

For more information on charity:water, go tocharitywater.org/brighton.

The Kazuri Bead collection is one of several jewelry collectionsthat Brighton has designed in recent years to benefit women.Brighton has donated more than $2.6 million to breast cancercharities through the sale of limited-edition Power of Pinkjewelry, and more than $1.1 million to the American HeartAssociations Go Red for Women campaign to protect women from heartdisease.

Known for excellent quality and a broad-ranging assortment offinely crafted accessories, Brighton also produces handbags, belts,footwear, small leather essentials, eyewear, luggage, fragrances,and gifts. Visit www.brighton.com to see the entire product line.