CustomInk Launches 3rd Annual "Be Good to Each Other" Campaign in Support of National Bullying Prevention Month

Celebrities Participate in Custom T-Shirt Effort to Support PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center


TYSONS CORNER, VA--(Marketwired - Aug 20, 2013) - CustomInk, the "design online" custom t-shirt company, today announced the launch of its annual Be Good to Each Other campaign (www.customink.com/stopbullying). Coinciding with the back-to-school season and October's National Bullying Prevention month, the campaign encourages student groups and others to take a stand for kindness and tolerance by designing and wearing custom bullying prevention t-shirts. All profits from the sale of shirts will benefit CustomInk's non-profit partner -- PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center (www.pacer.org/bullying), which unites, engages and educates communities nationwide to address bullying through its resources. As in previous years, celebrities from the worlds of TV/movies, music and sports are lending support to the campaign.

"One of our core values at CustomInk is the Golden Rule and treating others with kindness and respect. The Be Good to Each Other campaign highlights our commitment to bullying prevention," commented CustomInk co-founder and president Marc Katz. "Custom t-shirts with bullying prevention messages unite students, school groups and communities. This campaign gives them the power to take a stand and wear their voice on a t-shirt."

This is the third year CustomInk will undertake the Be Good to Each Other campaign. In two previous years, the campaign has engaged thousands of supporters and raised more than $20,000 for the bullying prevention programs of CustomInk's nonprofit partner -- PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center.

"We are thrilled to partner with CustomInk on this campaign to build awareness and raise funds for bullying prevention," said Julie Hertzog, Director of PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center. "We all need to work together to create environments where everyone feels valued and protected. Wearing custom t-shirts helps unite people in that common cause and shows those who have been bullied that they are not alone."

Nearly one-third of all school-aged children are bullied each year (upwards of 13 million students). The Be Good to Each Other campaign invites students -- with their class, team, club or even individually -- to create a wearable bullying prevention message. CustomInk will handle printing and fulfillment at cost, allowing 100% of the profits from those sales to go to PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center. 

Celebrities Join the Cause
A number of celebrities are lending their voice to support the PACER Center cause. Participating personalities include: Super Bowl Champion Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens running back), Janel Parrish (Pretty Little Liars), Katie LeClerc (Switched at Birth), Laura Marano (Disney's Austin and Ally), Kaitlyn Dever (Last Man Standing/Justified), Beau Mirchoff (MTV's Awkward), Karan Brar (Disney's Jesse and Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Richard Sherman (Seattle Seahawks cornerback), Phil Stacey (recording artist and American Idol contestant), Hayden Byerly and Gavin Macintosh (The Fosters), Kyle Kleiboeker and Brooke Magnum (USA's Summer Camp) and Zack Ward (Scut Farkus in A Christmas Story).

Each celebrity will design his or her own custom bullying prevention t-shirt, which will be sold on CustomInk's new t-shirt fundraising platform, Booster. Celebrities also will harness the power of social media to engage their fan bases in active conversation throughout National Bullying Prevention Month in October and to promote UNITY DAY. Presented by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, UNITY DAY encourages people in schools, communities and online to send a message of support to students who have experienced bullying by wearing orange on Wednesday, October 9th. CustomInk will sell PACER's orange UNITY DAY shirts as well as the celebrity-designed tees, with all profits benefitting the charity.

Introducing Booster
This year's Be Good to Each Other campaign incorporates the power of Booster (www.booster.com). CustomInk's Booster is a new way to fundraise and raise awareness for a cause through the online sale of custom t-shirts. Booster eliminates upfront costs, and campaign organizers do not have to collect money or manage inventory. Those who wish to promote a cause simply design a shirt, identify the cause that's meaningful to them and promote the sale of their shirt through Booster's easy-to-use tools like email and Facebook sharing. The Be Good to Each Other campaign will utilize Booster for the sale of celebrity and UNITY DAY shirts, and students and other groups are encouraged to launch their own Booster campaigns to fundraise for the National Bullying Prevention Center, or their own local bullying prevention cause. CustomInk handles the printing and delivery of t-shirts, and sends a check to the cause at the close of the campaign.

About CustomInk (www.customink.com)
Founded in 2000, CustomInk is the leader in custom apparel for groups & occasions. CustomInk.com enables people to design and order custom t-shirts and accessories for their clubs, companies, charities, family reunions, and more. Customers enjoy free design support from CustomInk's acclaimed service representatives, and each custom design is proofed by a professional artist to ensure it turns out perfectly -- whether it's being printed on one t-shirt or thousands. CustomInk's Design Lab provides a huge font library and selection of art, including hundreds of new images from Charles S. Anderson Design, and allows users to upload their own custom artwork. Those who wish to make t-shirts for groups can take advantage of the website's simple group ordering system and online sign-up sheet for ease in coordinating their order with friends, teammates or classmates. The Be Good to Each Other campaign is an effort of the CustomInk Three Hearts Initiative (http://www.customink.com/about/three_hearts), the company's charitable giving and public service arm, which strives to use the power of custom t-shirts to do good. 

Headquartered in Northern Virginia, the company is dynamic and forward-thinking and has been recognized numerous times for rapid growth and workplace excellence. CustomInk strives to treat customers, vendors, and team members as it would want to be treated and has a strong sense of innovation and individual responsibility. To learn more, visit www.customink.com/our_story/ or call 800-293-4232.

PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center (www.PACER.org/bullying)
Every day, 160,000 kids in America stay home from school to avoid being bullied. PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center educates communities nationwide to prevent bullying through the use of creative, interactive resources including the websites TeensAgainstBullying.org and KidsAgainstBullying.org. Based in Minneapolis, PACER offers educators, students, families, and individuals the tools they need to address bullying in schools, recreational programs, and community organizations. For more information, visit PACER.org/bullying.

© 2013 CustomInk, LLC. All rights reserved. CustomInk is a registered trademark of CustomInk, LLC. The "Inky" octopus is a trademark of CustomInk, LLC.

Contact Information:

Contact:
Erin Prosser
Warschawski
410.367.2700 ext. 112
erin.prosser@warschawski.com