Get a "Kiss for Country" and Help Mary Kay Kiss Domestic Violence Goodbye

I love it when people are creative about drawing attention to the issues they care about -- and here is a great example:

Mary Kay, the Official Beauty Sponsor of "The 41st Annual CMA Awards," has enlisted the help of Country Music superstar Martina McBride to turn these celebrity fantasies into realities with a new philanthropic initiative to counter domestic violence. As part of the national "A Kiss for Country" charity campaign being unveiled by McBride, top Country Music artists have partnered with CAEPV Member Mary Kay to auction off their kiss prints to benefit the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation programs committed to ending domestic violence. Fans now have the chance to bid on those cards through an online auction at http://www.ubid.com/promo/charity/ from November 6 through December 31, 2007. 100% of the proceeds go to the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation where they will be used to help domestic violence shelters and programs.

On Tuesday, November 6, McBride joined Mary Kay and CMA Chief Executive Officer Tammy Genovese at The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to unveil the celebrity-smooched "kiss cards" and show her ongoing commitment to the prevention of domestic violence. "As a performer, I am lucky to have the opportunity to share my messages with the public, but through 'A Kiss for Country,' Mary Kay is allowing me to spread hope," said Martina McBride, the longtime champion of the cause against domestic violence. "Through the kisses of my fellow Country Music artists and the generous contributions of the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation, we are hoping to help put an end to domestic violence."

To help Mary Kay kiss domestic violence goodbye, spokesperson Martina McBride and participating Country Music artists, including Reba McEntire, Sara Evans, Jennifer Hanson, Miranda Lambert, Jo Dee Messina, Jennifer Nettles, Tanya Tucker and Wynonna applied their favorite Mary Kay lip products and imparted their lip prints on specially designed "kiss cards." Adding a fun element, the lip prints were analyzed by a professional "kissologist" and were displayed backstage at the Mary Kay Makeup Touch-Up Station at the 2007 CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 7.

Mary Kay is stepping up the commitment by providing a $20,000 grant to a women's shelter through the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation in each participating artist's name in exchange for their kiss print. These grants will be awarded in 2008 to women's domestic violence shelters in each of the 50 states. In 2008, the Mary Kay Ash Charitable Foundation pledges to donate up to $3 million to women's shelters around the country.

If you are a country music fan, this is a great opportunity to bid on something really special -- and support a great cause! As I write this, Reba McEntire is "in the lead" but there is a long way to go, and no matter who gets the highest bid for their "kiss," everyone wins!

To learn more about the Corporate Alliance to End Partner Violence, visit www.caepv.org.