DEADLINE EXTENDED TO SEPT. 30th

GREENWICH, Conn., July, 26, 2016 — Greenwich United Way is looking for artists with a connection to Greenwich, Connecticut to submit designs inspired by reading for a chance to have their design featured on Wu & Y (www.wuandy.com) joggers and yoga pants during the month of October. The collaboration is the first for both Greenwich United Way and Wu & Y. Artist with a connection to Greenwich, Connecticut can submit designs starting Monday, August 1st and have until Friday, September 30th to participate. 

The Wu & Y founders, Eric Wu and Michael Mantell, plan to offer the unisex joggers and yoga pants with specialized print for one month and donate 50% of net proceeds from sales to Greenwich United Way Reading Champions. “Our products combine breath-taking art with the comfort of activewear. And we love supporting local artists to promote individual style. You can wear these to the gym, to travel, and even to a music festival,” said Wu.  

Artists must email a textile design, pattern, or photograph of an art piece to be used as a Wu & Y print on Greenwich United Way Fall 2016 merchandise with an artist statement or description of their submission and details about their connection to the community to Greenwich United Way (info@greenwichunitedway.org). Wu & Y recommends that artists submit digital art files in .ai or .eps with a dpi of 300 or greater, a hand-drawn design can be photographed with a 10 megapixel or higher camera. All rights to the selected artwork belong to Greenwich United Way and Wu & Y. For more information please visit Greenwich United Way online (www.greenwichunitedway.org).  

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About Wu & Y

Led by Eric Wu and Michael Mantell, Wu & Y is a crowdfunded Brooklyn-based activewear brand for the playful and adventurous. They designed their first product line, psychedelic and retro shorts, with music festivals, dancing and adventures in mind.  The brand launched on Kickstarter on May 24 and was fully funded in 3 hours.  Founded by a team of friends with Eric and Mike as co-CEOs and co-Creative Directors, the company is a group effort based on the idea that it takes a community to serve its needs.

About Reading Champions

Greenwich United Way Reading Champions is a literacy program partnering Greenwich youth with community volunteers in an effort to build fluency skills during the school year. Since 2008, Reading Champions volunteers have assisted over 2,500 children in achieving individual reading goals in fluency. By enabling students to obtain immediate feedback and receive one-on-one personal attention, the program has been a resounding and proven success. In conjunction with the Greenwich Public School reading curriculum, Reading Champions contributes to the development and growth of students’ fluency. Currently Greenwich United Way Reading Champions serves 10 of 11 elementary schools in Greenwich and the Byram Archibald Neighborhood Center (BANC), Community Centers, Inc. of Greenwich (CCI), Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich (BGCG), and the Y.W.C.A. of Greenwich. Volunteer tutors are trained, no teaching experience is needed, and tutoring opportunities are always available.

About Greenwich United Way

The Greenwich United Way shares a name with approximately 1,400 other similar organizations across the nation, although the Greenwich, Connecticut division is a privately incorporated, locally governed, nonprofit agency. As a volunteer driven organization, the Greenwich United Way exists to help identify and address the human service needs specific to its local community and to create and affect meaningful solutions. Through various fundraising efforts, the organization is able to directly allocate the funds necessary to accomplish this goal. The Greenwich United Way also invests in and conducts collaborative efforts to address broad based community needs with partnering nonprofit agencies.