Okay so we're not the greatest photograpers. We know shoes, not cameras. But she was here! Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Sports Illustrated voted greatest female athlete of the 20th century, pictured above with fitting specialist Stephanie Hoth at New Balance Saint Louis II Creve Coeur location. Jackie Joyner-Kersee (born March 3, 1962 in East St. Louis, Illinois) is a retired American athlete, ranked among the all-time greates athletes in the women's heptathlon as wess as in the women's long jump. Jackie won three gold, one silver and two bronze Olympic medals in those two different events. Achievements best compared to "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias, rumored to be Jackie's original inspiration. In 1988, Joyner-Kersee established the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation, which provides youth, adults, and families with the resources to improve their quality of life with special attention directed to East Saint Louis, IL. That's an amazing way to give back to the community. But that's not all! In 2007, Jackie along with Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstron, Jeff Gordon, Tony Hawk, Warrick Dunn, Andrea Jaeger, Mario Lemieux, Mia Hamm, Alonzo Mourning, and Cal Ripken, Jr. founded the "Athletes for Hope", a charitable organization. This particular organization helps professional athletes get involved in other charitable causes and inspires millions of non-athletes to volunteer and support the community. So I'm sure I don't have to tell you how amazingly privileged we feel to have met and assisted such an amazing role-model.
Thanks Jackie! And thanks to STLII for sharing the experience!  

It's that time of year again. A sea of thousands upon thousands of people will fill the streets of downtown Saint Louis in support of Susan G Komen this Saturday June 13th.  Saint Louis held their first Race for the Cure in 1999 with 10,257 participants, a record for a first year Komen event. Today, the Komen Race for the Cure Saint Louis is one of the top three largest Race for the Cure events in the world with around 65,000 expected participants including over 4500 survivors. Up to seventy-five percent of the net money raised will stay in the Saint Louis area to fund education, screening, treatment and support groups. New Balance has been there since the beginning! New Balance proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary of association with Susan G Komen for the Cure this year, 2009. Read more about New Balance involvement here and here,where you can also find Lace up for the Cure® styles featuring the official logo and pink ribbon of Susan G Komen for the Cure. Sadly I will miss the race this year so I will have to rely on my comrades for footage and updates on the great event. In the meantime enjoy footage from last year's race. If you will be attending tomorrow's race be sure to look for the New Balance booth!

A lot more than a running program!
"Girls on the Run® is a non-profit prevention program that encourages preteen girls to develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running. 'Their' curicula address all aspects of girls' development - their physical, emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being."
This past month our Saint Louis location had the privilege of fitting some local Girls on the Run for the upcoming race in May. The girls came in for a fitting and left full of energy with smiles on their faces! We are so happy to be here for such a great program. If you'd like more information about Girls on the Run or to find a race date near you go to http://www.girlsontherun.org/. This isn't the first time I've buzzed about the program. Check out last year's blog for a little more info on how Brown's and New Balance play a part.

WT909OR              WR805WT             WR769ST              WR768KM              WR757CU                   WR993GL

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
New Balance proudly celebrates its 20th Anniversary of association with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. New Balance is also the longest running sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Series-the world's largest and most successful education and fundraising event for breast cancer.
Below are some of my favorite pics from last year's race in Saint Louis.

   
In celebration of such a milestone of commitment New Balance will be introducing  a special edition 993 in pink suede! The 993 is the latest in a long line of a legacy running shoe and is a perfect match for such an honor. All special edition 993s will be manufactured in the United States. The WR993KM will debut in August 2009 with a limited number of customizable editions available for purchase in July. For all of the details check out the press release! Can't wait 'til August? You're in Luck! In April 2009 New Balance will introduce the WR769KM, deemed the official shoe of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®. You can discover the features and the current colors available in the 769 model here. To help you get as excited as we are about the 993KM and 769KM I have a couple pics attached below as a "sneak peak" for our lucky readers. Or if you simply cannot wait until even April you can check out some shoes and accessories currently available in the Lace Up for the Cure® series here. 
Lace up with some Pink and join the cause!

If you have some favorite pics from previous races that you would like to share in a future blog send them to jessica@nbcatalog.com. 

WR993KM                            WR769KM
                                                                     

       

The 900 series... keeping turkeys safe since 1981.

It's that time of year again. The time of year when we eat.. and eat.. and eat.. and go back for seconds.. and a piece of Grandma's pumpkin pie.. and maybe another roll.. and you gotta have a piece of Aunt Bee's coconut creme with whipped topping.. and then we sit. Or sink into the couch rather and think about where those recently ingested inches are going to make camp. Will it be the thighs this year or will it make the gluteus even more maximus?

Or are you making a pre-emptive strike this year as a Turkey trotter? What did you call me? A Turkey trotter? That's right! There will be no tryptophanic-coma for these turkey eaters! Runners and walkers in over 250 cities will be taking a stand, or a Trot against those extra holiday inches! Thanksgiving actually rivals Fourth of July as the biggest race day of the year and no worries about making it to dinner on time as most of the races are early morning and relatively short in distance. I'll be wearing my 993's for speed so I can beat my brother to the wishbone. And not to overlook the sentiment of the holiday most races raise money for very worthy causes, such as Feed the Children, Salvation Army or local shelters and food pantries. Check here for a race near your Thanksgiving destination. Not gonna have time to put your running/walking shoes to use? Be thankful for some relaxation and enjoy your snoring contest with Grandpa!
Happy Thanksgiving from the Brown's family to yours!

We are thankful for you! Enjoy $5 off a regular priced pair of New Balance. Use BLOG5 as your promotional code.

During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month think Pink!
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women but it affects men as well. It affects everyone, if not directly than indirectly through family or friends. You will see a lot of pink this month from light crimson hues to pale reddish purple, all shades to stimulate awareness and support in solidarity for a cure. Many also wear pink to remember. I am sure you will be hit this month with all sorts of harsh realities and statistics but I opt instead to concentrate on the progress. Survival rates have jumped almost 2 percent per year since 1990. Foundations, such as Susan G Komen for the Cure and the National Breast Cancer Foundation, that contribute to awareness and support for a treatment, research and a cure, have gained corporate sponsors for funding at a greater level. One of those corporate sponsors is New Balance and their Lace Up for the Cure Collection®. For 19 years New Balance and Susan G Komen for the Cure have been working together to end breast cancer forever. In fact New Balance is the longest running sponsor of the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure series, contributing more than $6 million since 1989.
Read about our experience at the Race in Saint Louis 2008.
This month make your favorite color pink! Support the cause for a cure.
Run Proud in the WR768KM, Official Shoe of the Race for the Cure. Walk tall in the WW845WB. Go for par in pink on the "green" in the women's Golf WG1275PR. All the while knowing that New Balance is donating 15% of the wholesale sales from the Lace Up for the Cure Collection® to Susan G Komen for the Cure. Lace up in any of the styles found here to help.  Already have a Pink Ribbon style or just look pretty in pink? Send us a pic for a future blog to jessica@nbcatalog.com with the subject: "Pretty in Pink".

The 10^th annual Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure drew nearly 64,000 participants bright and early June 21^st. Contributions totaled over $3.3 million, surpassing this year's goal! Each year Race for the Cure brings a greater awareness to the fight against breast cancer.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure was founded twenty-five years ago by Susan's sister, Nancy G. Brinker. At that time, when breast cancer was diagnosed before it spread beyond the breast, the five-year survival rate was just 74 percent. Today, it is 98 percent. Nearly 75 percent of women over the age of 40 now receive regular mammograms compared to just 30 percent in 1982.

Attending the race in St. Louis was a great reminder that even though the stats are improving, we still have far to go. The people I spoke with had such a positive attitude and glowed with hopeful inspiration given by the more than 4,000 survivors present at this year's race. Even with so many smiles seen in such a large turnout, no one overlooks the very serious reason we are there.  Names of sisters, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, uncles and friends flashed by in the thousands on the backs of participants that were walking in memory of or in celebration of their loved ones. These names were listed on their backs but the sentiment did not take a back seat. This symbolized one of the ways people are leaving the pain behind and racing forward for a cure. 

Everyone showed up sporting different shades of pink and accessorized with crazy pink wigs, pink rabbit ears, and pink antennae.  One of the most popular accessories seen on participants were pink laces provided by New Balance. The pink shoelaces were given to survivors and offered to others for a minimal donation, with the proceeds going directly to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The pink lace donation is just one of the ways New Balance contributes to the cause.

New Balance is the longest running sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Series.  They have made financial contributions of more than $6 million since 1989. To promote increased breast cancer awareness, New Balance has created the Lace Up for the Cure^® Apparel & Footwear Collection as a reminder that the ultimate finish line is a cure for breast cancer.

In 2008, New Balance will contribute 15% of wholesale sales from the Lace Up for the Cure Apparel & Footwear Collection with a guaranteed minimum donation of $500,000. Find your favorite Lace Up for the Cure item here. One of my favorites is the pink laces. Brown's Catalog donates 100% of the proceeds from the pink lace to Komen for the Cure. Check out our footage from the race posted below. This was my fourth race attended and will not be the last. Hope to see you there next year!