Giving Tuesday...
I love that this is a thing! And it’s been our thing everyday for the last 7 years. It all started with treating others the way we hope to be treated - with love, respect and support for the causes we fiercely believe in.
Since we started making Signature Stripes, the goal was to help raise the vibration of causes and organizations that needed an extra megaphone and a few extra dollars. We pledge at least 5% of our sales from each of our stripe leggings and in the last 7 years have donated over $200,000 to dozens of charities.
In 2009 I lost my job and to avoid losing my mind, I discovered hot yoga. I was depressed and undiagnosed. As I grew my yoga practice, the study of the 8 limb path highlighted the importance of service, so I answered a listing on a volunteering message board online and began my volunteering journey. In 2010, my dad started attending the Adler Aphasia Center and I transitioned to volunteering there on the days I accompanied my dad.
At that same time, I started K-DEER. Back then, I named it “k.deer haute yoga wear” because it was “haute” (fashionable) and for “hot” yoga. It was the first of it’s kind… bright, colorful patterns made from fabric that was meant to get wet in styles that made you feel like you were naked. The BumBum shorts were the original silhouette that started it all and I made hundreds of them by hand in my childhood bedroom in the first few years of business.
My time was spent wearing all the hats- manufacturing, sales, website management, shipping, social media, marketing, trunk shows and everything in between. I couldn’t give as much time as I wanted to and realized if I couldn’t give my time as service, I could potentially give my resources.
When we made the first 3 Signature Stripes, my friend and yoga teacher, Jody Domerstad, was diagnosed with a large benign brain tumor and had to endure surgery and a long road to recovery. I named a stripe after her to help share her story, build up a healing vibration to her and donate proceeds to help her pay her medical bills.
When her bills were paid, I transitioned the donation to the Adler Aphasia Center and since then we’ve donated over $20,000 to the center which goes to member scholarships so anyone with aphasia can receive their services.
It wasn’t until I named our most recent stripe, that I realized I was living by the golden rule all along, something my mother taught me and my grandmother taught my mom. Treat others the way you want to be treated. We don’t give back in order to get anything in return, we simply hope to shine a light where there is darkness so there can be less suffering in our world.
On this Giving Tuesday, we want to shed as much light into the world as we possibly can. So we are doing something we’ve never done before by offering 25% off the entire Signature Stripe Collection for one day only. (Use code GT25 at checkout. Expires at 11:59PM EST on 11/30/2021.)
What does this mean for the charities we support? Well, hopefully it means that when you are shopping, you’ll read about the name and charity that the leggings honor and send a bit of love their way. If a cause resonates with you, please visit their website, make a donation if you can and share it on your social media platforms to help raise the vibration even more, inspiring others to learn about their mission and contribution to their community in need.
A discount for you will not mean a discount on the donation we make. We will honor the full price of the item and donate 5% at the end of the year, as we always do.
When you get your Stripes in the mail, you will receive a card that tells you about the cause. Read it so that when a lovely person compliments you in class, on the street, in an airport or while you’re running a marathon, you’ll be able to share the meaning behind these incredibly powerful stripes.
These stripes stand out. They are meant to be seen. Their message is meant to be shared. And if you are reading between the lines, then you already know that these stripes are a symbol of hope, individuality and community.
Thank you for supporting my small business over the last 11 years.
And thank you to my team, 11 incredible humans on staff and dozens of local and small businesses that help us make our amazing product. We hope you wear your new gear in good health and I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2022!
xo
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