Socially Responsible Sportswear Brand “Luta” Launches Its "Life Changing Project" in New York City
New York, NY (PRWEB) August 07, 2013 -- LUTA, the socially responsible sportswear brand, today marks its New York City launch with the introduction of its “Life Changing Project.” In keeping with the company’s mission to give 50 percent of its profits to sports and education projects for young people affected by crime and violence, LUTA has selected four local NYC boxing and martial arts gyms it will support – and that New Yorkers can support too.
Starting today, consumers can go online to http://www.luta.us to purchase high-performance, socially responsible sportswear where half of the profits will support youth boxing and martial arts gyms to develop educational and personal development programs to improve the lives of young people in underserved areas.
The four gyms selected to participate in LUTA’s Life Changing Project include:
• Brotherhood Boxing Club, Queens
• Champs Gym, New Rochelle
• Fight Back Martial Arts Program, Bronx
• Starrett City Boxing Club, Brooklyn
Each gym was selected for their work with young people directly involved in or affected by crime and violence as well as their commitment to developing services that combine boxing and martial arts with personal development and education opportunities. For example, at Starrett City Boxing Club, home to professional boxers Luis Collazo and Frank Galarza, young fighters have access to a range of services, including boxing classes designed to build discipline and self-esteem as well as mentoring and tutoring programs to supplement their education. Consumers who make LUTA purchases online can designate the type of gym program ‘their half’ will benefit, from additional educational, career and mentoring programs to equipment purchases.
“The center of New Rochelle is gang central – we have a lot of tough kids, and not a lot of outlets,” said Ryan O’Leary, CHAMPS Boxing Owner and member of USA Boxing’s Board of Directors. “Boxing is different. Boxing is one-on-one, and there’s a sense of personal accomplishment. If you get a troubled kid in the ring, you can teach him respect, discipline and perseverance. The kids in our neighborhood depend on CHAMPS, so it’s important to us to partner with a company like LUTA that believes in what we’re doing and can help us expand our reach and improve our programs.”
Born in the favelas (shanty towns) of Rio de Janeiro, LUTA brings together real fight performance with favela street style. After launching Fight for Peace, a global non-profit organization that uses boxing and martial arts to create a dialogue with youth, founder and director Luke Dowdney saw a need for a high-performance sportswear brand with fight heritage that was designed for both fighters and those serious about getting fit. Unlike sports brands that typically partner with charities, Dowdney wanted to turn the business model on its head and launch LUTA sportswear, the first ethical sportswear brand created by a non-profit.
“We want to bring our message of ‘strength through peace’ to New York, and supporting these four local boxing and martial arts gyms is the first step,” said Dowdney, founder and CEO, LUTA. “LUTA has always been about harnessing the real strength of youth boxers worldwide, from the favelas in Brazil to the gyms of Brooklyn, the Bronx, New Rochelle and Queens to effect change in our neighborhoods. With the ‘Life Changing Project,’ we’re encouraging local NYC residents to make a promise not only to themselves to get fit, but to a young person in their neighborhood looking for a place to learn life skills both in and out of the boxing ring.”
To make a purchase and to check out dedicated gear for MMA, Boxing and Training, please visit http://www.luta.us/. To show support for LUTA on social networks, consumers can use the hashtag #lifechangingproject.
About LUTA
Born in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, LUTA (http://www.luta.us) is socially responsible sportswear. LUTA’s mission is unique in that it gives 50 percent of its profits to the global non-profit Fight for Peace (http://www.fightforpeace.net). Fight for Peace uses boxing and martial arts, combined with education and personal development, to realize the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence.
Bringing together real fight performance, favela street style and genuine social mission, LUTA sportswear was designed in consultation with more than 300 pro athletes, leading sports apparel designers and top performance fabric technicians. LUTA first launched in London in 2011, with its U.S. launch in August 2013. For more information, please visit http://www.luta.us or on Twitter at @lutasportswear.
Kate Ryan, Diffusion PR, +1 646-673-8681, [email protected]
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