Our deepest thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the tragedy in Japan. While there are numerous avenues to show your support such as usaid.gov, donorschoose.org, etc., we have chosen to partner with the American Red Cross as we did with relief efforts in Haiti. All of your contributions will aid in the relief efforts in Japan. Click HERE to contribute.

The Zappos Family celebrated the 2nd annual LIVESTRONG Day on September 30^th to raise money for the LIVESTRONG Foundation and raise cancer awareness.  Events included a barbecue, yellow chocolate fountains, a bake sale, raffles and the unveiling of a LIVESTRONG room at the Las Vegas headquarters. The Zappos Family raised $2,678.38 between Las Vegas and Kentucky and like last year, Zappos will match this amount and add to it for a total donation of $15,000. We had 7 employees participate in the LIVESTRONG/Las Vegas Cancer Foundation’s ride on October 2nd.  Zappos employees also walked 67 miles in the Walk for Life event. This was the second year for the event and the ride grew from 125 cyclists last year to 650 this year.  The group brought in $30,000, which will be divided between the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Candlelighters Childhood Cancer. There were 1,100 events in 64 different countries on LIVESTRONG Day 2010. We are on track to raise more than $50,000 for LIVESTRONG as part of the Zalloween Zolf event at the end of this month. For more information on LIVESTRONG, visit them on the web at LIVESTRONG.org.

The Zappos Kentucky Family recently hosted a shoe event in partnership with the local school system to help fit kids with shoes. Some 235 kids went home from the event with a new pair of kicks for the school year. An overwhelming number of volunteers turned out to help make this event a success!

The Life is good Festival was a tremendous success, with almost 30,000 attendees enjoying the two days of great music and fun for a good cause. They raised over $500,000 for the Life is good Kids Foundation and its mission of helping kids overcome life-threatening challenges including violence, illness and extreme poverty. The festival took place on a 40-acre plot at Prowse Farm. Whether it was Grace Potter and the Nocturnals pumping the soundwaves with psychedelic riffs or Ben Harper and Relentless7 rocking out Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix covers, there was a little something for everyone. As much as the event was a musical event, attendees really embraced the philanthropic angle, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to help improve children’s quality of life.

Check out this video that features Life is good co-founders dancing on stage with Jason Mraz to close out his set.  

At the end of March the Zappos.com Fulfillment Center in KY took part in Bowling for Kids’ Sake 2010 that benefits the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. We had over 30 bowlers at this charity event participate on behalf of the ZFC. Over $2,685 dollars worth of pledges were collected for BBBS…way to bowl KY Team! Three of our employees here at the ZFC have become "Bigs" within the program and so can you. If you would like more information on the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization please go to the following: www.bbbsa.org.

Zappos.com KY Fulfillment Center visited The Center for Women and Families at their downtown Louisville, Kentucky location at the beginning of March. The visit was a wonderful inside look at how the Center for Women and Families is just like their motto, more than just a shelter. President/CEO Denise Troutman was a breath of fresh air as she discussed what the center is doing to help victims of intimate partner abuse or sexual violence become survivors. The CFWF has supportive services, community education and cooperative partnerships that foster hope, promote self-sufficiency and rebuild lives.

Zappos.com believed so strongly in the mission of The Center for Women and Families that we adopted a family room for a year. When adopting-a-room through the CFWF the onetime donation goes toward any necessities the family may need when living in that room (sheets, towels, etc.). Outside each adopted room you will see a plaque that is inscribed with the names of individual people, companies like Zappos.com and even book clubs that wanted to help. President/CEO Denise Troutman did point out the emotional impact it makes on a woman knowing that someone would donate to keep her family safe, give hope and just simple…care. We are so fortunate to have been able to spend time with the President/CEO and staff of this facility that offers so much more than just a shelter for the women in our Kentuckiana area. If you would like to volunteer or learn more about The Center for Women and Families please visit their website at WWW.THECENTERONLINE.ORG.

Recently Zappos and Bearpaw together donated 300 Bearpaw boots to a local charity in Louisville, KY. Check out this video to see more of how the donation will help this organization:

Every year, Zappos teams up with the NCCF to donate backpacks to 100 children with life threatening illnesses. This year Zappos distributed 271 backpacks to kids in need.

I’ll let Jamie N. tell you about!