Gildan today announced the name of the five charities that have been selected by a panel of judges, based on a number of criteria including accountability, sustainability and impact, which will receive donations ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 in recognition of their contribution to their communities. The five recipients are:

• Our Little Roses Foreign Mission Society - Genuine Stewardship award ($50,000)
• Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society - Impact award ($20,000)
• Amizade Global Service-Learning - Sustainability award ($10,000)
• Camp DreamCatcher - Accountability award ($10,000)
• YESIWUAH, Inc. - People's Choice award ($10,000)

The 2011 campaign, which ended on December 31st, was the second edition of Gildan's "I Support..." program. Similar to last year's program, Gildan reached out to individuals from the apparel and promotional products industry via social media (www.facebook.com/genuinegildan), in order to generate nominations for charities that are having a genuine positive impact in the communities they serve. People were asked to identify charities they support and why. A top ten list was determined based on the number of votes each nominated charity received and a panel of judges from the apparel and charity industries then used the charities' responses to a questionnaire in order to determine which of the ten would receive donations from Gildan.

The official presentation ceremony for the $50,000 Genuine Stewardship award will take place on January 20th, 2012, at the Long Beach Convention Center, during the Imprinted Sportswear Show in Long Beach.

The Gildan Good Cards

As a new feature to the "I Support..." program in 2011, the Company provided Gildan Good Cards to industry members who nominated a charity. The Good Card® allowed recipients to direct a Gildan funded $50 donation to a registered 501(c)3 charity of their choice. Good Card® redemptions resulted in a total of $100,000 in additional donations to over 90 different charities representing a variety of causes from youth health and education to environmental welfare.

"We are pleased that Gildan was able to support a greater number of charities during our second edition of the "I Support..." program," said Garry Bell, Vice President Global Marketing for Gildan Activewear SRL. "In total, $200,000 is being donated by Gildan to various charities for the 2011 edition of the "I Support..." program. The Good Card® donations were a great addition to the program and a reflection of the strong enthusiasm by industry and customer participants towards our philanthropic endeavors."

For more information about the program please visit www.gildanisupport.com and for more information on Gildan's community initiatives, please visit www.genuinegildan.com.

About Gildan

Gildan is a marketer and globally low-cost vertically-integrated manufacturer of quality branded basic apparel. Gildan® is the leading activewear brand in the screenprint market in the U.S. and Canada. The brand is continuing to grow in Europe, Mexico and the Asia-Pacific region. The Company sells T-shirts, sport shirts and fleece as undecorated "blanks", which are subsequently decorated by screenprinters with designs and logos. The Company is also one of the world's largest suppliers of branded and private label athletic, casual and dress socks sold to a broad spectrum of retailers in the U.S. Gildan markets its sock products under a diversified portfolio of company-owned brands, including Gold Toe®, PowerSox®, SilverToe®, Auro®, All Pro®, GT®, and the Gildan® brand. The Company is also the exclusive U.S. sock licensee for the Under Armour® and New Balance® brands. In addition to socks, the Company is increasingly becoming a significant supplier of underwear and undecorated activewear products in the retail channel. With approximately 29,500 employees worldwide, Gildan owns and operates highly efficient, large-scale, environmentally and socially responsible facilities in Central America and the Caribbean Basin and has begun the development of a manufacturing hub in Bangladesh to support its planned growth in Asia and Europe. More information on the Company can be found on Gildan's website at www.gildan.com.

Gildan

Gildan

Gildan is a leading apparel manufacturing company, with a strong portfolio of brands, including Gildan^®, American Apparel^®, Comfort Colors^®, GOLDTOE^®, and Peds^®. With over three decades of developing global manufacturing expertise, Gildan is one of the world’s most efficient, ethical, and sustainable apparel manufacturers. Founded in Canada, Gildan operates out of roughly 30 locations in ten countries worldwide and sells its products in 60+ markets globally. Together with its 50,000 employees, Gildan operates with a proven commitment to industry-leading Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) practices throughout its supply chain in accordance with its comprehensive ESG program embedded in the Company's long-term business strategy. More about the Company on gildancorp.com.

More from Gildan