American Eagle Outfitters Partners with Big Brothers Big Sisters this Holiday Season to Create One Million Moments of Mentoring

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO)  is creating "one million moments of mentoring" through holiday gift card sale donations to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and wardrobe makeovers for some of the national mentoring organization's most deserving  teen and tween mentees.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110613/PH17540LOGO )

Of every gift card sold from December 1 – December 24, $.15 -- up to $150,000 -- will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.  In addition, American Eagle is teaming up with the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles and other NFL franchises to give deserving middle- and high-school aged "Littles" a $200 gift card to use during a private shopping experience with some of their favorite local professional athletes. 

"We are extremely excited that American Eagle Outfitters is working so hard to sell one million gift cards to create one million moments of mentoring to support Big Brothers Big Sisters," said Charles Pierson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.  "Also by teaming with select NFL franchises, American Eagle is creating meaningful mentoring moments for the kids participating who will cherish the experience."

Local Big Brothers Big Sisters agencies will select up to 20 mentees per market based on the Littles' financial need and improvement in school, behavior or self-esteem -- areas tracked by Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Survey™.  Big Brothers Big Sisters' mentees are children of single, low-income or incarcerated parents or they are growing up in military families.  Longstanding independent research finds compared to their peers, Littles are more likely than their peers to show improvement in areas linked to school improvement, healthy choices and socio-emotional success.

"American Eagle Outfitters and the American Eagle Outfitters Foundation have partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters since 2005 to make a positive impact on the lives of underprivileged  youth," said Marcie Eberhart, director of the  American Eagle Outfitters Foundation.  "In addition to our special holiday campaign, thousands of American Eagle Outfitters Associates have participated in the national mentoring organization's Bowl for Kids' Sake fundraisers throughout the nation." 

About American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) is a leading global specialty retailer offering high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable prices under its American Eagle Outfitters® and Aerie® brands. The company operates more than 1,000 stores in North America, and ships to 77 countries worldwide through its websites. American Eagle Outfitters and Aerie merchandise also is available at approximately 43 international franchise stores in 13 countries. For more information, please visit www.ae.com.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters, the nation's largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, holds itself accountable for children in its program to achieve measurable outcomes, such as educational success; avoidance of risky behaviors; and higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships.  Partnering with parents/guardians, schools, corporations and others in the community, Big Brothers Big Sisters carefully pairs children ("Littles") with screened volunteer mentors ("Bigs") and monitors and supports these one-to-one mentoring matches throughout their course.  The first-ever Big Brothers Big Sisters Youth Outcomes Summary, released in 2012, substantiates that its mentoring programs have proven, positive academic, socio-emotional and behavioral outcomes for youth, areas linked to high school graduation, avoidance of juvenile delinquency and college or job readiness.

Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity, often those of single or low-income households or families where a parent is incarcerated or serving in the military, with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.  This mission has been the cornerstone of the organization's 100-year history.  With about 350 agencies across the country, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves nearly 630,000 children, volunteers and families. Learn how you can positively impact a child's life, donate or volunteer at BigBrothersBigSisters.org.

SOURCE Big Brothers Big Sisters