The Candie’s Foundation is a non-profit foundation whose mission is to prevent teenage pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is a pregnancy of a female under the age of 20 when the pregnancy ends. It generally refers to a female who is unmarried and usually refers to an unplanned pregnancy...

 through educational campaigns. The foundation develops and runs communication campaigns to raise awareness about, and motivate teens to prevent, teen pregnancy. It is a non-denominational, non-partisan organization.

History

In 2001, Neil Cole, head of the fashion brand Candie's

Candie's

Candie's is a clothing brand started in 1981. Originally a Charles Cole "El Greco" line of shoes, the brand was purchased by Iconix Brand Group in 1993. Since 2005, Kohl's Department Stores has had exclusive rights to the Candie's brand in all departments except shoes.Candie's sells juniors'...

 and an executive at Iconix Brand Group

Iconix Brand Group

Iconix Brand Group is a brand management company that licenses brands to retailers and manufacturers primarily in the apparel, footwear, and apparel accessory industries. Its brands are available in such stores as Kohl's, Kmart, Sears, Macy's, Target and JC Penney.The company began as Candie's,...

, founded The Candie’s Foundation, for the purpose of educating teenagers as to the risks and consequences of teen pregnancy.

The Candie's Foundation implements national ad campaigns that encourage teenagers to wait until they are adults to have children. Actresses Jenny McCarthy

Jenny McCarthy

Jennifer Ann "Jenny" McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress, author, activist, and game show host. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for Playboy magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year. McCarthy then parlayed her Playboy fame into a successful television and...

 and Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...

, as well as Bristol Palin

Bristol Palin

Bristol Sheeran Marie Palin is the second child and oldest daughter of former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd....

, have been "ambassadors" for the foundation. More than 20 celebrities have been featured in Candie's Foundation PSA campaigns, including Vanessa Hudgens, Usher

Usher (entertainer)

Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...

, Macy Gray

Macy Gray

Macy Gray is a Grammy Award-winning American R&B and soul singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress, famed for her distinctive raspy voice, and a singing style heavily influenced by Billie Holiday and Betty Davis.Gray has released five studio albums, with her fifth studio album, The Sellout,...

, Rihanna

Rihanna

Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...

, Ciara

Ciara

Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...

, Ashanti Douglas, Lupe Fiasco

Lupe Fiasco

Wasalu Muhammad Jaco , better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco , is an American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, Lupe is the CEO of 1st and 15th Entertainment. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his critically acclaimed debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food...

, Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...

, Michael Sorrentino

Michael Sorrentino

Michael Sorrentino , publicly known by his nickname The Situation, is an Italian American television personality. He has appeared on the MTV reality show Jersey Shore since its premiere in 2009.-Early life:...

, Matt Garza

Matt Garza

Matthew Scott Garza is a United States professional baseball pitcher with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball.-Amateur career:He attended Washington Union High School and Fresno State.-Minnesota Twins:...

, Hillary Duff, Ashley Tisdale

Ashley Tisdale

Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...

, Ashlee Simpson

Ashlee Simpson

Ashlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...

, Fall out boy

Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...

, Vanessa Minnillo

Vanessa Minnillo

Vanessa Joy Lachey is an-American television personality, television host, model, and actress. A former Miss Teen USA, she has been a New York-based correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and a host of Total Request Live on MTV...

, Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Bedingfield

Natasha Anne Bedingfield is a British pop singer and songwriter. Bedingfield debuted in the 1990s as a member of the Christian dance/electronic group The DNA Algorithm with her siblings Daniel Bedingfield and Nikola Rachelle...

, Fergie, Elizabeth Berkley

Elizabeth Berkley

Elizabeth Berkley is an American television, film, and theatre actress. Berkley's most notable roles were in the television series Saved by the Bell, as brainy feminist Jessie Spano, and the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film Showgirls, as exotic dancer Nomi Malone.-Early life:Berkley was born and raised...

, Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars

Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...

, Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...

, and Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child

Destiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...

.

The Candie's Foundation is an operating foundation rather than a grant-making foundation. However, the foundation has received criticism for spending more money on spokespeople than on grants to teen pregnancy health and counseling clinics.

Campaigns

Since its inception in 2001, Candie’s Foundation ads have been seen by millions of teens across America. The message of the campaigns is for teens to consider the consequences that come with teen pregnancy. This entails thinking about your future; thinking about consequences; evaluating your relationship; delaying sex; using contraception; and asking “why now"? Some of the campaign messages include:

• I Never Thought I Would Be a Statistic
• Not Really the Way You Pictured Your First Crib
• Not What You Had in Mind for Your First Set of Wheels
• You Think Being in School Sucks?
• And you thought your parents were controlling?
• Be Sexy: It Doesn’t Mean You Have to Have Sex
• Be Smart: Don’t Give Up Your Education
• Be Smart: You Are Too Young to Start

Celebrities that have participated in the campaigns include Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Leslie Panettiere is an American actress and singer, best known as cheerleader Claire Bennet on the NBC television series Heroes. She began her acting career by playing Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live , and Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light , before starring at age 10 as Sheryl Yoast in...

, Beyoncé, Ciara

Ciara

Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...

, Jenny McCarthy

Jenny McCarthy

Jennifer Ann "Jenny" McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress, author, activist, and game show host. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for Playboy magazine and was later named their Playmate of the Year. McCarthy then parlayed her Playboy fame into a successful television and...

, Vanessa Minnillo

Vanessa Minnillo

Vanessa Joy Lachey is an-American television personality, television host, model, and actress. A former Miss Teen USA, she has been a New York-based correspondent for Entertainment Tonight and a host of Total Request Live on MTV...

, Ashley Tisdale

Ashley Tisdale

Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...

, Hilary Duff

Hilary Duff

Hilary Erhard Duff is an American actress, singer-songwriter, entrepreneur, and author. After working in local theater plays and television commercials in her childhood, she achieved fame playing the title role in the Disney Channel television series Lizzie McGuire. She also reprised her role in...

, Ashlee Simpson

Ashlee Simpson

Ashlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...

, Usher

Usher (entertainer)

Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...

, Rachel Bilson

Rachel Bilson

Rachel Sarah Bilson is an American actress. Bilson grew up in a California show business family, and made her television debut in 2003, subsequently becoming well known for playing Summer Roberts on the prime time drama series The O.C. Bilson made her film debut in the 2006 film The Last Kiss and...

, Bristol Palin

Bristol Palin

Bristol Sheeran Marie Palin is the second child and oldest daughter of former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin and her husband, Todd....

, Teddy Geiger

Teddy Geiger

-Singles:-Album appearances:-Television and movie appearances:-External links:****...

, and Vanessa Hudgens.

Event to Prevent

Each year The Candie’s Foundation hosts the Event to Prevent to raise awareness about teen pregnancy in the United States. The event brings together leaders in the media, entertainment, business, and political worlds. The event raises money to support teen pregnancy prevention activities, and honors individuals who have done exceptional work for the cause and helped advance the Foundation’s message.



Past honorees have included Senator Hillary Clinton, Katie Couric

Katie Couric

Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...

, Paula Zahn, Governor Thomas Kean

Thomas Kean

Thomas Howard Kean is an American Republican Party politician, who served as the 48th Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. Kean is best known globally, however, for his 2002 appointment as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, widely known as the...

, Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...

, and Kim Catrall. Past performers have included Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift

Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...

, Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...

, Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie

Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...

, James Taylor

James Taylor

James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....

, Teddy Geiger

Teddy Geiger

-Singles:-Album appearances:-Television and movie appearances:-External links:****...

, Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....

, Jewel

Jewel (singer)

Jewel Kilcher , professionally known as Jewel, is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, actress and poet...

, Ashlee Simpson

Ashlee Simpson

Ashlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...

, and Destiny’s Child.



The 2011 Event to Prevent celebrated the Candie's Foundations 10th Anniversary. They honored Ciara

Ciara

Ciara Princess Harris , known mononymously as Ciara, is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, actress and fashion model. Born in Austin, Texas, she traveled around the world during her childhood, only to land in Atlanta, Georgia where she met music producer, Jazze Pha...

, Elizabeth Berkley

Elizabeth Berkley

Elizabeth Berkley is an American television, film, and theatre actress. Berkley's most notable roles were in the television series Saved by the Bell, as brainy feminist Jessie Spano, and the 1995 Paul Verhoeven film Showgirls, as exotic dancer Nomi Malone.-Early life:Berkley was born and raised...

, and the CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Sarah Brown. They were honored for their work using their platforms to raise awareness about the consequences of teen pregnancy. The night was highlighted by performances from Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars

Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...

 and Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin

Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...

.