Get 'Denimised' On Jeans For Genes Day

Go on, get denimised! It’s Jeans for Genes Day on Friday 5th October 2007 when the charity which gets millions of people to wear jeans is going for the ‘denimisation of the nation’!

The popular charity Jeans for Genes is asking everyone in the UK to wear their jeans to school or work on Jeans for Genes Day and to help children with genetic disorders. It’s so easy to take part. By registering online at Jeansforgenes.com anyone can ‘get denimised’ and make a splash. In exchange for a contribution of £2 from adults and £1 from children, supporters have ‘permission’ to ditch the school uniform or work clothes and create a day of ‘denimised’ fun.

The twelfth Jeans for Genes Day aims to raise around £3million which will be spent on research into the causes, treatments and cures for genetic disorders in children as well as respite care, information and holidays for families who are affected by inherited conditions. A genetic disorder can range from something easy to treat like a squint or a cleft lip to more challenging inherited conditions such as haemophilia, cystic fibrosis and muscular dystrophy.

Celebrity supporters including Jason Donovan, Emilia Fox, the cast of Hollyoaks, JK and Joel, Emma Griffiths and many others have got behind Jeans for Genes and are wearing the charity’s stickers on their back pockets.

Stick-on patches to wear on your rear this year…
For instant ‘denmisation’ why not follow the celebrities’ lead and buy some stick-on patches to slap you your back pocket. Available from the website: Jeansforgenes.com

Power to the muffin…!
Extra features of fun this year include a campaign to get everyone to bake and sell ‘denimised’ teatime treats. Cookery teacher and celebrity chef Rosemary Shrager can be seen on the website demonstrating how to make blueberry muffins, flapjacks and fairy cakes for the day. Recipes and instructions can be downloaded. Jeansforgenes.com/muffins

Denimisation of the nation…
Statues are getting denimised too. Look out for jeans on: The Bull in Birmingham, Sir Stanley Matthew in Stoke on Trent, The Shepherd & Sheep in Paternoster Square and The Liffe Trader in the City of London, plus Dylan Thomas in Swansea, Lady Godiva in Coventry and many more. The charity is keen to hear from anyone who knows of a statue which could ‘don the denim’ on 5th October.

And finally…
Check out the website (Jeansforgenes.com) to find out more about where Fifi and the Flower Tot zip-pulls will be sold, how to download a template to make your own ‘paper jeans’ a cute desktop reminder of the date. And look out for the ‘I’ve been denimised’ t-shirts and mugs you can buy, as well as supporting promotions from retailers and brands such as Lee Cooper, Ted Baker, howies and more.

Jeans for Genes is an ‘umbrella charity’. At its heart are four charities:

• Great Ormond Street Hospital Gosh.org
• The Primary Immunodeficiency Association (PiA) Pia.org.uk
• The Society for Mucopolysaccharide Diseases (MPS) Mpssociety.co.uk
• The Chronic Granulomatous Disorder (CGD) Research Trust Cgd.org.uk

In 2007 the proceeds of Jeans for Genes Day will also benefit three ‘guest charities’. These include:

• The Sickle Cell Society Sicklecellsociety.org.uk
• The National Deaf Children’s Society Ndcs.org.uk
• Fragile X Society Fragilex.org.uk