Jo-Ann will donate $90,000 to three charities and
5 crafters will be awarded $1,500 Jo-Ann gift cards
If you're an artist, crafter or sewing enthusiast, you probably already know what research shows—that crafting offers a variety of emotional, mental and physical health benefits. Slowing down and making something with your own hands and imagination can relieve stress and lift a heavy mood. Repetitive motions, such as those used for knitting, crochet or sewing, can be therapeutic and even cathartic.
Giving to others has been found to offer similar emotional benefits, so pairing giving with crafting is a winning combination!
Now, Jo-Ann offers another reason to feel twice as good about crafting by inviting you to Craft for a Cause. By donating a handmade item to charity and completing an online entry, you could win a $1,500 Jo-Ann gift card for yourself while helping your selected charity win a donation of up to $50,000.
How to Craft for a Cause
- MAKE — Using materials purchased from Jo-Ann stores or Joann.com, craft a handmade item and donate it to your favorite charitable organization. Save your receipt(s) and take photos of your handmade item BEFORE donating it!
- ENTER — Visit Joann.com/CraftforaCause to fill in the entry form and upload a digital copy of your receipt along with three (3) photos of your donation by 11:59 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010.
- WIN — Five participants will be selected to receive a $1,500 Jo-Ann gift card. A panel of sewing and crafting experts will judge all eligible entries, selecting five (5) winners based on the quality/workmanship, creativity and functionality of the item for the participant's charity of choice. Their evaluation will be based on the provided photographs and the descriptions that accompany the submission — so take good pictures and be clear in explaining how your gift benefits the charity and those the organization serves.
How Your Favorite Charity Can Win
Each handcrafted item donated to a charity and submitted as part of the contest will be counted for that organization. Submissions are limited to one per person, so to support your favorite charity, you'll want to rally all your friends and family to sew or craft and donate handmade items. You might even host an event or party with your local sewing guild or craft group, inviting everyone to work on their charitable contribution.
The three charitable causes receiving the most donated items will become Craft for a Cause finalists. Jo-Ann will donate a total of $90,000 to the three finalists, with the question becoming "how much will each charity receive?"
Beginning on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010, the public—including you, your family and all of your friends—are invited to vote for their favorite finalist by visiting Joann.com/CraftforaCause.
The top vote-getter will receive a $50,000 cash donation from Jo-Ann. Second place will receive $25,000, with $15,000 going to the charity in third place.
"Craft for a Cause will bring together the crafting community for the benefit of the charities that mean the most to our customers," said Brent Beebe, vice president of crafts merchandising for Jo-Ann. "We are very excited about the impact that our combined efforts can make."
For official rules and/or to submit your entry in the Craft for a Cause, visit Joann.com/CraftforaCause.
Resources
- Contest Page: Craft for a Cause on Joann.com
- Read & Review: Official Contest Rules & Regulations
- Submit Your Entry: Official Online Entry Form
- Find Us: Jo-Ann Store & Class Locator
- Shop: Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Online
Additional Reading
- Article: Knitting group therapeutic by Liz Switzer,
The Daily News (01/19/2010) - Article: Reap the Benefits of Crafting on CaringToday excerpted from Craft to Heal by Nancy Monson
- Article: Spending on Happiness, Center for Social Innovation, Stanford (2010) based on the article Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness [free registration required]
both by Michael Norton/Elizabeth Dunn/Lara Aknin,
Science (03/21/2008)
This sounds like a wonderful way to help out some great charities! I already have lots of JoAnn yarn I just need to get the hooks and needles working it up..knit..camera..entry!!!! Come on gals let's help out some awesome causes!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to be doing this, I hope I am one of the 5 to win so I can help out the Arthritis Foundation, good luck everyone!
ReplyDeleteI have some baby quilt kits that I purchased from JoAnn's online, plus all my DMC threads that I purchased from my local JoAnn's, but I don't have any of my receipts. Can I still enter the Craft for a Cause?
ReplyDeleteHello Gail:
ReplyDeleteI am sorry but receipts indicating proof of purchase at Jo-Ann are a requirement of the rules. If you purchased them with a credit card, perhaps you could get a copy of the receipt from your bank/credit card company.
Thank you!
I made an embroidery piece that I am donating to a charity. I puchased the fabric that I embroidered on & the canvas that I mounted it onto at Jo-Ann but not the embroidery thread. Is it still eligible for this contest?
ReplyDeleteIt's good news. I love Joann and their crafts. I should find some joann fabrics coupons now :) thanks
ReplyDeleteWhen will the 5 winners who won gift cards be announced?
ReplyDeleteHello Beth: Per the official rules, winners will be notified "on or about November 8, 2010," and there is paperwork that needs to be completed before winners can be announced publicly. You can also request a copy of the list:
ReplyDeleteFor a list of prize winners, mail a business size self-addressed stamped envelope, accompanied by a hand-printed request to Winners List Request, Craft for a Cause Contest 2010, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, 5555 Darrow Rd., Hudson, Ohio 44236.
All requests must be received from October 16, 2010 to December 11, 2010. Vermont residents may not participate in the Contest, but may omit return postage if they request a list of prizewinners. Contest is governed by U.S. law.