As local charities brace for a possible drain on giving, Lapels Dry Cleaning steps up to the plate, holding a Clothing Drive October 1- 9 at all Lapels locations to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters .

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: STEVE DUBIN, PR WORKS, (781) 582-1061, SDubin@PRWorkZone.com

“Local charities brace for a possible drain on giving.”
Lapels Dry Cleaning steps up to the plate by holding a Clothing Drive October 1- 9 at all Lapels locations to benefit the Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation.

DATELINE: HANOVER, MA…Fundraising is always a challenge for local charities, but in the face of national disaster relief efforts many are bracing for a possible drain on giving. Lapels Dry Cleaning is stepping up to the plate to remedy this situation by going to bat for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation.

All Lapels locations will be participating in a Clothing Drive from October 1 through 9 to benefit the Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation. Gently used clothing items of all types and sizes may be placed in the receptacle designated for Big Brothers Big Sisters donations in each Lapels store.

Believe it or not your unwanted clothing can help Big Brothers Big Sisters help more kids. Big Brothers Big Sisters will pick up the gently used clothing collected by Lapels and distribute it to consignment shops, using the proceeds from the sales of these items to support their mission to help children reach their potential through professionally supported, one-to-one relationships.

In addition, Lapels will be donating items that have been dry cleaned and left on their conveyor belts over 6 months, if customers choose to not reclaim those abandoned items.

Lapels CEO Lawrence Friedman knows firsthand the impact the Big Brother Big Sister program can have, “I have been a big brother for eight years, and watching the progress of my “little” has been an absolutely amazing experience. I hope that Lapels customers and the general public will pitch in and help a great organization by cleaning out their closets and filling the Big Brothers Big Sisters donation receptacles in our Lapels stores to overflowing.”

Community Commitment
The Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation Clothing Drive is the latest demonstration of Lapels’ ongoing commitment to local communities. Most recently Lapels joined in a campaign to encourage Red Cross blood donations during a time of shortages, sponsoring a blood drive and offering incentives for donors at regional Red Cross donor centers

About Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters serves over 200,000 children, ages 6 through 18, in 5,000 communities across all 50 states, establishing successful mentoring relationships for all children who need and want them, contributing to better schools, brighter futures, and stronger communities for all. Big Brothers Big Sisters one-to-one mentoring makes a huge difference for the youth it serves by helping at-risk youth overcome the many challenges they face

Big Brothers Big Sisters was selected by Forbes Magazine as one of its top ten charities, making the publication’s “gold star” list of charities which it believes are worthy of donor consideration, in its annual survey of 200 large charities. The magazine surveyed 200 non-profits and rated them on how efficiently they collect and distribute dollars. Forbes looked at three categories: charitable commitment, fundraising efficiency, and donor dependency.

A Rising Star
Lapels recently made Entrepreneur’s “Franchise 500” as well as Entrepreneur’s “Top 50 New Franchises,” identifying Lapels as one of today’s top franchise opportunities. Entrepreneur's “Franchise 500” is the best and most comprehensive rating of franchises in the world and is based on objective, quantifiable measures of a franchise operation.

The Lapels Difference
With Lapels’ unique outsourcing advantage, Lapels storeowners outsource dry cleaning operations, providing the best possible service and quality to customers while caring for the environment.

Lapels franchise owners benefit from exclusive territories, group purchasing power, job security and unlimited earning potential. Lapels offers franchisees full training and support in every aspect of the business and a comprehensive start-up package that includes: a point-of sale computer system; an automatic clothing conveyer; a wedding gown program; retail products to sell; indoor and outdoor signage with all needed permits; a grand opening marketing package; and advertising promotion to 10,000 homes. Lapels also provides franchisees a custom web site with email, on-going training and support, custom counters, start up supplies, and much more.

Store Locations
Lapels has stores in Massachusetts (Boston, Dedham, Easton, Framingham, Halifax, Hanover, Newton, North Weymouth, Norton, Quincy, Rockland, Westford, and Westwood); New Hampshire (Hudson and Manchester); Rhode Island (Lincoln); and Texas (Garland).

Hours for all stores are Monday through Friday 6:30 AM - 7:00 PM, Saturday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM, and Sunday - 11 AM - 3 PM.

Lapels – Earth Friendly Cleaners
A full slate of services are offered at each Lapels store, including: same-day dry cleaning; shirt service; tailoring; shoe repair; wedding gown heirlooming; suede and leather processing; box storage and fur storage.

Lapels corporate offices are located at 962 Washington Street, Hanover, MA 02339. To learn more about franchise opportunities with Lapels, call toll free (866) 695-2735 or email admin@lapelsdrycleaning.com. Additional information and up-to-date company news can also be found on the company’s Web site, www.lapelsdrycleaning.com.