FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Korie Morgan

Marketing Manager

Phone: 952.471.8700 ex. 12

Email: kmorgan@hopechest.us

HOPE CHEST GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

St. Paul, MN–July 17, 2006 –Hope Chest for Breast Cancer, a Minnesota-based organization dedicated to raising money to support breast cancer causes, held their Grand Opening Celebration for the new St. Paul location over the weekend and had a ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Coleman this past Friday, July 14, 2006. Their St. Paul store is now open at 571 N. Snelling Avenue (5 blocks north of Highway 94).  St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and other dignitaries joined members of the Board of Directors, Hope Chest employees, supporters, and volunteers for the ribbon cutting ceremony.  Many local businesses participated in the celebration by donating prizes for drawings that occurred all weekend

The St. Paul store is the second Hope Chest for Breast Cancer Retail Shop to open in the Twin Cities.  The first store opened in Orono/Navarre in the Lake Minnetonka area in 2002.  The retail stores raise money through the sale of donated, very upscale furniture, accessories and women’s clothing.   The five year goal is to open 50 franchised stores across the nation and once they are operational to be contributing $10,000,000 per year to breast cancer causes.

How can people help?

• Individuals can donate gently used, mint condition upscale items
• Retailers, distributors, manufacturers, interior designers can donate surplus and seasonal merchandise
• Businesses can donate in-kind services like Coleman Truc-King a St. Paul based moving company provided trucks to help with moving inventory into the new store
• Individuals and groups can volunteer in the store and on special event teams
• Everyone can spread the word about the Hope Chest
• Everyone can Shop, shop, shop:  Excellent quality, excellent buys, all for an excellent cause!  With a mantra like that who would not want to shop here