etnies

Happy Birthday, Ryan Sheckler!

etnies would like to take a quick moment to wish Ryan Sheckler the happiest of 16th birthdays! Not that you forgot, but you'll see his etnies pro model shoe dropping in shops really soon.

Happy Birthday, Leanne!

We’d like to wish a very happy birthday today to etnies Girl snowboarder Leanne Pelosi. Have fun, “Party” Pelosi!

Meet Abby, the etnies Girl of the Month

Photo: Mike Kirkpatrick/CMI Photography

Abby, our etnies Girl of the Month, has been riding motocross for a full third of her life. The 15-year-old Montana native started riding when she was just 10 and racing when she was 11—after spending a couple of years trying to convince her parents even to let her get on a bike. Her tenacity paid off, and it shows every time she races. We caught up with Abby, who lives with her parents and 17-year-old brother, Bo, to chat about how she got into motocross, the best advice she’s received and why she always wears pink.

etnies Girl: What are your interests?
Abby: I’m interested in lots of things. I love to race motocross. I enjoy snowboarding, dancing, shopping and spending time with my family and friends. Another interest of mine is doing anything that will help me stay in condition for motocross. Oh yea! And probably my number one interest is boys…Duh!

etnies Girl: What are your talents?
Abby: I think that I’m pretty talented at racing my dirt bike. I am pretty stubborn when it comes to trying my hardest at things. Before racing motocross I danced competitively. I enjoyed that very much too, and was told that I was talented at it as well. I even plan on going back to dancing next winter after the motocross season is over. It is a great way to stay in shape.

etnies Girl: How did you get involved in motocross?
Abby: It’s a long story. When my brother was about 10 years old, he asked for a motorcycle for Christmas. My parents surprised him with an old Honda CT70. He was crazy on that thing; it was made to trail ride, but instead he was trying to jump it. So my parents had to buy him a different motorcycle to keep up with his skill level. I was dancing back then but I always wanted to be like my big brother. It took me two years to convince my dad to let me try riding a motorcycle. He didn’t want his little girl to get hurt. Then my mom got involved and told him that I had to be my own person and if they were willing to take the chance with my brother, why not let me try it too. They bought me my first motorcycle when I was 10. They didn’t think that it would last but once I got going, I couldn’t stop.

etnies Girl: What do you like about etnies Girl?
Abby: The thing that I like about etnies Girl is how much they support women in action sports. They portray them as strong and talented individuals. I also like to see what the current styles of clothes and shoes are. I love my etnies and am always looking forward to my next pair.

etnies Girl: Why are you an etnies Girl?
Abby: I think that I am an etnies Girl because no matter how many guys say that I am too girly and can’t possibly race motocross, I just keep on going and pushing myself to be the racer that I want to be. The comments and teasing that I get just keep me wanting to get faster so that I can beat them. I also think that I am an etnies Girl because I spend time making the younger girls feel comfortable. I tell them that when I first started riding motocross, my family nicknamed me the “Wheelie Queen.” My dad spent a lot of money replacing my rear fender because it was always broken!

etnies Girl: What do you do for fun?
Abby: I like to do lots of things for fun—although in the summertime I don’t have much spare time because I race nearly every weekend, and when I’m not racing I’m practicing. I also try and practice every night of the week between races. Living in Montana, we have snow a lot of months out of the year. Sometimes we plow the snow off the tracks just to get practice or sometimes even to race. When I’m not riding or racing, I like to hang out with my friends. We go to the lake and shop a lot.

etnies Girl: Where do you find inspiration?
Abby: I find inspiration in a lot of things. My friends and family inspire me to do well. I enjoy reading about other girls who race and hearing about how they started out just like me. The other thing that inspires me is having friends who are doing what I want to do someday and watching them on TV at the big races.

“I wear a lot of pink…because I want the boys to know that when I pass them, they just got passed by a girl.”

etnies Girl: What’s your biggest accomplishment?
Abby: My biggest accomplishment has got to be going to the starting line with 40 other girls who all want to win as badly as me. This year I went to Washougal, Wash., and raced at the Amateur National race. I raced in the Women’s A class, which is the class right below the Women’s Pro class. I ended up finishing fifteenth overall, only because I crashed in my first moto and came from last to finish thirteenth. I then went out and got tenth in my second moto for an overall finish of fifteenth. I also finished third overall in the Women’s Pro class in Montana’s High Country Motocross Association series.

etnies Girl: How did you get started racing and what do you like most about it?
Abby: I got my first bike when I was 10 years old and started racing when I was 11. My first bike was a RM85 and now I ride a 2006 CRF 250. I got started because I wanted to be just like my older brother, Bo. He’s always there for me, pushing and encouraging me to do better—I don’t know what I would do without him. My brother also has a great group of friends who have welcomed me, encouraged me and helped me to train to go faster. They all treat me like I’m their little sister and it’s fun having them watch over and protect me. The thing that I like about racing the most is how much time I get to spend with my family while I make my dream come true. I also like how everyone is one big family at the races; even when you go to amateur events that have over 3,000 racers, everyone still treats you like you’re their best friend.

etnies Girl: Do you see yourself as a role model for other girls in the sport?
Abby: I didn’t realize how much of a role model I was until I saw how much it helps the younger riders when I talk to them and give them words of encouragement. Their parents come up to me and thank me for spending the time with them. They also tell me never to quit racing and that I make a difference in their children’s lives. One thing that is unique about me is that I wear a lot of pink—I do this not only because it’s one of my favorite colors, but because I want the boys to know that when I pass them, they just got passed by a girl. One day I had a dad came up to me and tell me that I cost him a lot of money because now his little girl wants to have her bike and gear in pink just like mine! I always make it a point to go and watch the younger girls and cheer for them. It’s great to know that I’ve made a difference in their lives.

etnies Girl: What things have you learned through motocross that has helped you in your day-to-day life?
Abby: I know that one thing that I have learned is how to stick up for what I believe in and go for my dream! No matter what people say, I just use it as fuel to help make me go faster. I’ve also learned how important family is because I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without my brother to push me, my dad to work on my bike and my mom to help me when I need a friend and someone to talk to.

etnies Girl: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Abby: I would have to say that the best advice that I’ve gotten has come from my mom. She tells me that the things that you have to work the hardest to get are usually the things that end up meaning the most to you in your life, and that just because things get difficult doesn’t mean you quit—you work through it because someday you will look back and realize that all of that hard work paid off in the end. She has always told me this because she believes that if you want a lot out of life you have to work hard for it.

etnies Girl: What’s really important to you?
Abby: Going pro is really important to me because it is the one thing that I want really badly. My grandpa was into racing cars and I guess that I just got it from him. He died a few years ago from cancer and never really got to see me race, but I know that he is in heaven watching over me and being my guardian angel.

etnies Girl: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
Abby: In addition to being a women’s pro motocross racer, I would like to be a model for action sports companies. I try hard to be an ambassador for the sport of women’s motocross, and I would like to help the sport grow as much as possible.

Abby’s Favorite Things

Place: “At home with my family.”
Animal: “My kitten, ‘Throttle.’”
Color: Pink
Hangout: “Any place as long as I’m with my friends.”
City: San Francisco
Song: “Reflection” by Christina Aguilera
Album: The “Mulan” soundtrack
Band: Rascal Flatts
Book: “Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family and Fighting to Get Back on the Board” by Bethany Hamilton
Movie: “Tommy Boy”
TV show: “The OC”
Sport: Motocross
Game: “Dance Dance Revolution”
Food: Elk Steak
Candy: Candy Canes
Holiday: Christmas
Smell: Oranges
Hobby: Scrapbooking
Guilty pleasure: Chocolate
Athlete: Ashley Fiolek
Hero: Grandpa Dutch
etnies Girl shoe: Callicut

Be an etnies Girl of the Month

Would you like to be the next etnies Girl of the Month? Leave a comment telling us why you deserve to be the next etnies Girl along with your age and, if you’re extra nerdy (which we love) add a link to a picture of yourself. Make sure to leave your CORRECT (no funny business!) e-mail address in the e-mail field, or we won’t be able to contact you if you’re chosen. (Don’t worry, your e-mail address won’t show up in your comment.) If you’re feeling shy, you can also e-mail a paragraph describing why you should be our next etnies Girl along with a photo of yourself to etniesgirl [at] soletechnology.com, or send it to:

etnies Girl of the Month
c/o Sole Technology, Inc.
25422 Trabuco Rd., Suite 105 #235
Lake Forest, CA 92609

Don't forget to include your name, age, address and phone number.

Happy Birthday, Lauren!

We’d like to wish a very happy birthday today to etnies Girl skater Lauren Perkins. Happy 17th, Lauren!

Enter the Clear Cut Contest by Jan. 10!

Have you always wanted to be a shoe designer? Well here’s your chance! Enter etnies Girl’s You’re the Designer Clear Cut Contest by January 10, 2006, for the opportunity to have your design vision become a reality.

Here’s the scoop: The Clear Cut, etnies Girl’s brand-new customizable version of the Callicut, comes with a clear logo window and interchangeable “E” insert options, including one blank so you can create your own design. That’s where you come in. Download the “E” insert line drawing and start designing, then upload or snail mail us your best design. The etnies Girl shoe designers will pick their favorite five designs, which we will post on the etnies Girl Web site so our readers can pick the winner.

The grand prize winner will receive five pairs of the Clear Cut that include the winning “E” insert design and a head-to-toe etnies Girl outfit. The four runners-up will receive a pair of the Clear Cut and an etnies Girl T-shirt.

Remember, all entries must be received no later than January 10, 2006, in order to be eligible, so you don’t have that much time left. Enter to win before it’s too late!

Enter the Clear Cut Contest by Jan. 10!

Have you always wanted to be a shoe designer? Well here's your chance! Enter etnies Girl's You're the Designer Clear Cut Contest by January 10, 2006, for the opportunity to have your design vision become a reality.

Here's the scoop: The Clear Cut, etnies Girl's brand-new customizable version of the Callicut, comes with a clear logo window and interchangeable “E” insert options, including one blank so you can create your own design. That's where you come in. Download the “E” insert line drawing and start designing, then upload or snail mail us your best design. The etnies Girl shoe designers will pick their favorite five designs, which we will post on the etnies Girl Web site so our readers can pick the winner.

The grand prize winner will receive five pairs of the Clear Cut that include the winning “E” insert design and a head-to-toe etnies Girl outfit. The four runners-up will receive a pair of the Clear Cut and an etnies Girl T-shirt.

Remember, all entries must be received no later than January 10, 2006, in order to be eligible, so you don't have that much time left. Enter to win before it's too late!

Happy Holidays From etnies Girl!

Santa skates!

etnies Girl would like to wish you, your friends and families a very happy holiday season!

Cute Overload!

First we told you about Stuff On My Cat and now you need to know about one of our favorite new sites, Cute Overload. This site is so cute that it’s seriously b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

Try not to fall in love with it—we dare you!

etnies Holiday Festival 2005 Photo Gallery

Lauren Perkins and Mrs. Claus at the etnies Holiday Festival

Pierre André Senizergues, owner and CEO of etnies, hosted etnies’ Second Annual Holiday Festival at the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest last Friday, Dec. 16. Elissa Steamer, Lauren Perkins, Arto Saari, Bastien Salabanzi, Ronnie Creager, Kyle Leeper, Leo Romero and Austin Stephens were all there skating and signing autographs.

The entire Sole Technology crew, Santa, Mrs. Claus and Peter Herzog, mayor of Lake Forest, came out to ring in the holiday season, celebrate the skatepark’s second anniversary and, most importantly, give over 500 pairs of shoes to kids who really needed them. The event also featured lots of skating, autograph signings, free food, and arts and crafts.

Check out the Photo Gallery for photos from the event.

Leanne Named Female Rider of the Year

Leanne Pelosi, Snowboarder Magazine’s Female Rider of the Year

etnies Girl would like to congratulate Leanne Pelosi on being named Snowboarder Magazine’s Female Rider of the Year. Talk about cleaning up! Not only did Snowboarder Magazine give her top honors, but TransWorld Snowboarding has noted her skills for the past two years, as well. In 2004, Leanne was named Rookie of the Year, and she also received awards for Rider of the Year and Readers’ Choice in 2005!

Way to go, Party Pelosi!

December’s Snow Team Report

Leanne "Party" Pelosi and pooches!

Janna Meyen is already gathering footage for her part in the Volcom movie. She's been at it since Baker opened up early last month. Right now, she’s somewhere out in the backcountry filming and bagging shots. Way to go, Janna!

Up, up and away!

Leanne Pelosi and Alexis Waite just returned from a five day road trip and photo shoot up the California Coast with the etnies Girl team last week. Read about it in the Team Journals section of the site to find out about the random spots they stopped in to cause some havoc. This week, they’re shredding Park City, Utah, to practice for the Chicken Jam going down this weekend. Good luck, ladies!

In other news, make sure to check out Leanne Pelosi in the winter issue of Salt Magazine. She's been on fire lately and has been getting tons of coverage. She will be doing an interview with ESPN The Magazine right after the Chicken Jam and she also has an upcoming interview with Snowboard Canada. We also just learned that she won Female Rider of the Year from Snowboarder Magazine! Congratulations, “Party” Pelosi!

That's about it for now...

Keep checking back for more news!

Get the etnies Girl Holiday ’05 Catalog!

Not sure what you want to give or receive for the holidays? We’ll make it simple for you! Click on the image to the left to download the new etnies Girl Holiday ’05 catalog so you can do some shopping or make a wish list. And don’t forget that when you make a purchase of $65 or more in the etnies Girl Online Store you’ll receive free ground shipping. Happy shopping and happy holidays from etnies Girl!

Team Road Trip: Day 2

The etnies RV and team van

This is the second in a series of journals that the etniesgirl.com editor has written while on a road trip and photo shoot with the etnies Girl team. Check out more photos from the trip in the Team Road Trip Photo Gallery.

Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2005

My grandmother used to say to me, “Sarah, life is an adventure. No matter what happens along the way, you have to make the best of situations and, most of all, you have to have fun.” She usually said this to me when we were on a trip, she was driving, I was navigating (badly—but hey, I was just a kid!) and we were lost, which was often. I thought of my grandmother and her cool perspective on life several times throughout the second day of the etnies Girl road trip and photo shoot.

We started our day with an 8 a.m. call time—meaning we were supposed to be ready, with our bags packed and stowed away in the RV and van, and on the road by then. That didn’t happen, but we did leave El Capitan Canyon—which was lovely in the daylight, by the way—before 9, so I would consider that a minor victory. Like I mentioned in yesterday’s journal, it’s difficult to mobilize a group of 19. From El Capitan Canyon, we drove north about 25 miles to the town of Solvang.

Solvang, if you haven’t heard of it or didn’t see it in the movie, “Sideways,” is a replica of a Danish village. It’s charming and quaint—almost aggressively so. It’s like Denmark meets Disneyland. Everywhere you turn, there’s a windmill or a bakery, and everything seems to have “Denmark,” “Solvang” or “Nordic” in its name. We found parking for the RV (which will be a huge consideration throughout the trip) and walked to the Solvang Restaurant for breakfast.

The restaurant advertised everywhere—on its sign, in the menu and in postcards by the cash register—that its specialty is Aebleskiver. I had no idea what that was when I first sat down to eat, but after reading the informative history of Aebleskiver in the menu that described it as a sort of round Danish pancake, I decided that I had to give it a try. Three of them arrived, smothered in raspberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar, along with a Danish sausage. The Aebleskiver was delicious—cakey and slightly dense and eggy with a spice I couldn’t quite put my finger on—but I have no desire to know what the pale Danish sausage was comprised of. I’m a little worried it might have been veal, which I swore off at the age of eight when my mother finally answered my questions about what, exactly, I was eating on our veal parmesan dinner nights. I really hope I didn’t eat a poor baby cow for breakfast.

It was after breakfast that I first thought of my grandmother and her motto, “Life is an adventure.” I volunteered to drive the 12 person passenger etnies team van, since poor Grace had been driving it since she left etnies in Orange County. That’s not to say I wasn’t a little nervous about navigating the beast—but since Grace had been doing it with a smile, and she’s all of about five-foot-nothing, I figured I’d just suck it up and give it a try.

The drive to San Louis Obispo, our first photo location, was gorgeous, and it wasn’t so scary to drive the van. We got there around 1 p.m. and were going to shoot around the train station, but it quickly became clear that wasn’t going to work out. It just wasn’t the right setting for the shoot. So, like my grandmother’s motto, we made the best of the situation. We decided to drive up the coast to our next destination and that if we saw a good location along the way, we’d stop there.

It didn’t take long for us to find a place to shoot. After driving for about 30 minutes, we pulled over to the side of the road. Not long after we pulled up, a yellow truck with a seal marked “County of San Louis Obispo, Calif.” pulled up next to us. Grace and I looked at each other and simultaneously said, “Oh, no.” We thought for sure they were going to shut down our impromptu photo shoot, especially when one of the two older guys in the truck asked, “What are you doing here today?” We all breathed a collective sigh of relief when it turned out that Rich, one of the men, has a son who’s a big fan of etnies and our riders. He wanted Elissa’s autograph for his son; he didn’t want to shut down our shoot. He got his photo taken with Elissa, she signed a poster and gave him some stickers, and two workers from the county of San Louis Obispo, Calif., drove off with smiles on their faces.

As Angela and Patrick started shooting the girls, I decided to do some exploring. I hopped over a barbed wire fence posted with a No Trespassing sign (breakin’ the law, breakin’ the law) and made my way down a well-worn path through the grass to a beautiful beach. (It’s nearly impossible to keep people away from a good beach.) Two seals came near the shore, peeking their heads out of the water to check out what was going on, and later sunning themselves on a rock. I enjoyed the lovely day before heading back to the RV to do some writing. We stayed at that location for the rest of the afternoon, finishing the day by watching the sun sink into the ocean. Then we hopped back into the RV and van to drive to our next destination.

Later,

Sarah, etniesgirl.com editor

Team Road Trip: Day 1

etnies Girl motocross riders Sarah Whitmore and Tarah Gieger (left to right) chilling in the etnies RV.

This is the first in a series of journals that the etniesgirl.com editor has written while on a road trip and photo shoot with the etnies Girl team. Check out more photos from the trip in the Team Road Trip Photo Gallery.

Monday, Dec. 5, 2005

Let’s just say that I’m not a morning person. So I was pretty proud of myself when I got to The 101 Coffee Shop in Hollywood—the L.A. meeting location for the etnies Girl team road trip and photo shoot—not only not late, but early enough to have breakfast. I’m never on time, so this was a real accomplishment. The call time for the L.A. crew was 9:30 a.m. (OK, so maybe I shouldn’t be that proud of myself), and the Orange County crew was supposed to meet at etnies at 7:30 a.m. so they could drive up to L.A. and meet us by 10. That didn’t happen. In fact, I sat at the 101 and wrote some articles for the site and checked e-mails (Did I mention that I LOVE Wi-Fi?) until 11, when Elissa Steamer, photographers Angela and Patrick, Angela’s assistant, Ben, and Jon, one of the filmers, showed up and ordered breakfast.

So at 11 a.m. we hadn’t left L.A., and we were already hopelessly behind on our schedule—which is completely normal. I’ve never yet attended a photo shoot that has been on time. While the L.A. crew finished eating breakfast, the O.C. crew showed up in the etnies RV. The group was comprised of Lauren Perkins, Alexis Waite, Leanne Pelosi, Sarah Whitmore, Tarah Gieger, Nick, the RV driver, Herb, the etnies art director, Grace, who’s in charge of the whole operation, Michelle, the stylist, and her assistant, BrisAnne, Tanika, the makeup and hair person, and Lisa, the other filmer. Why, may you ask, would I give you a full list of our group? To illustrate that organizing a group of 19 people is like herding cats—which is to say, a logistical nightmare. I can safely predict that we’ll be behind schedule for the entire trip. At around noon we finally gathered everyone up, loaded the etnies team van and RV with bags and gear, and we were off.

After a very pretty, very uneventful drive, we arrived in Ventura, our first location, around 1 p.m. Mary Osborne, who lives in the area, met up with us there. While Michelle, Tanika and BrisAnne helped the girls get ready for their photos, I scouted out a nearby bowling alley. To my complete surprise and utter joy, it had its own free Wi-Fi. Halleluiah! I settled in to post a couple of articles to the etnies Girl site and Elissa, Patrick and Jon got in some bowling.

For the next several hours, Angela and Patrick took photos of the girls in various outfits and groupings, and Jon and Lisa filmed them. Grace and I picked up lunch for the entire crew, and we watched Alexis and Leanne’s snowboarding movie, “As IF!”, until about 4:30, when we departed for Santa Barbara and the place we were staying that night, El Capitan Canyon.

El Capitan Canyon is beautiful, but when Tarah first saw it she remarked that it looked like the start of a horror movie—and she had a point. It’s essentially camping for people who don’t camp; it has adorable, fully heated cabins with indoor plumbing, but it’s in the woods and when we arrived it was completely pitch-black other than the light from the sliver of a crescent moon and the stars. We found our cabins, unloaded our bags, piled on some more clothes and wandered outside to the fire pit.

Time for a cookout! We were all starving at this point, so Nick, the gentleman that he is, got the fire going and we cooked burgers, veggie burgers and hotdogs over the fire. Then, to top off the perfect cookout dinner, we had a lovely dessert of S’mores. I was having flashbacks to Girl Scout camp. Elissa summed the day up best when she announced, “This day was the shit! Bowling, burgers and beer—it was the best.” Alright, that’s all for tonight! We have to get up early for a full day of photo shoots tomorrow.

Find out where we’re headed next by reading Team Road Trip: Day 2, and keep checking the Team Road Trip Photo Gallery, which I’ll be updating throughout the trip, for more behind-the-scenes photos. To see the real photos, look for etnies Girl ads in Teen Vogue, ELLEgirl and Seventeen magazines beginning in February 2006.

Later,

Sarah, etniesgirl.com editor

Free Ground Shipping With $65 Purchase

Believe it or not, there are only 16 more shopping days left until Christmas and Hanukkah! Lucky for you, when you make a purchase of $65 or more in the etnies Girl Online Store throughout the holidays you’ll receive free ground shipping. Happy shopping and happy holidays from etnies Girl!

etnies Holiday Festival Set for Dec. 16!

Some of the kids who attended last year’s etnies Holiday Festival

Yes, it’s that time of year again—when etnies brings a little happiness and joy to needy kids at the etnies Holiday Festival. This year’s festival will take place at the etnies Skatepark of Lake Forest on Friday, Dec. 16, from 2-5 p.m. etnies will be handing out about 500 pairs of shoes to kids from Orange County who are in need, as well as to kids who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Groups that have confirmed to attend the festival are the Boys & Girls Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Town, Human Options, and families who were displaced to Orange County by Hurricane Katrina.

The event will include craft tables where the kids will be able to decorate stockings, ornaments and Christmas cookies, as well as color pictures and have their faces painted. Every child will receive a pair of brand new etnies, and we’ll also have Santa there to take pictures with the younger kids. Additionally, we will open the park to skaters from 12-5 p.m., and the etnies Skate Team will be available for an informal autograph session.

To view photos from last year’s Holiday Festival, visit the Photo Gallery.

Check Out MGT Snowboard Camp!

If you’re ready to take your snowboarding to the next level, check out etnies Girl-sponsored MGT (More Good Times) Snowboard Camp, which was co-founded by etnies Girl’s own Leanne Pelosi.

Leanne Pelosi

Operating camps during the winter and summer, the camp is intended for female snowboarders who want to have fun and progress their snowboarding skills, especially in the park and pipe. MGT provides coaching in the slopestyle and halfpipe disciplines as well as freeriding, and their campers are typically recreational snowboarders, as well as athletes interested in pursuing snowboarding competitively or professionally.

This camp is exactly what you need to improve your snowboarding skills, and you’re sure to have a blast in the process.

With a name like “More Good Times” it has to be good!

Sign Up for etnies Girl Updates!

Stay updated on all of the latest etnies Girl happenings, products, events and promotions by signing up for the etnies Girl Newsletter, Site Alerts and RSS Feed!

Win Free etnies Girl Shoes!

Looking for a new pair of kicks, but don’t have the cash? Here’s your chance to win a free pair of shoes, courtesy of etnies Girl and URB Magazine!

All you have to do is name three pro skaters who have released albums. But you’ve got to act quickly—the first girl to e-mail the correct answer to giveaways@urb.com along with her full name, address and shoe size will win. Good luck!

World AIDS Day 2005

Today is World AIDS Day. Over 40 million people worldwide are infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Some 3 million of them are expected to die of AIDS this year.

There still is no cure for AIDS, but you can do your part in halting this epidemic by taking a moment to Learn the Facts.

You can also help make a difference by lighting a candle at Light To Unite. Bristol-Myers Squibb is donating up to $100,000 to AIDS causes for every candle lit. It only takes a few seconds to help spread the light and help save a life. One candle lit is one dollar closer.

Happy Birthday, Mary!

The Birthday Girl

We’d like to wish a very happy birthday today to etnies Girl team surfer Mary Osborne. Hope you have a good one, Mary!