Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month With Payless -- Buy $3 Bracelet to Support the Payless Inspiring Possibilities Scholarship Program Dedicated to the Higher Education of Hispanic Youth

USA - English

• Latin America - español

TOPEKA, Kan., Sept. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and for the fourth consecutive year, Payless ShoeSource® has launched the Payless Inspiring Possibilities Scholarship Program in partnership with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF).  Starting September 1, Payless will sell two limited-edition bracelet styles for $3 each -- perfect for collecting and layering -- and the retailer will donate $2.50 per each bracelet sold to establish scholarships to support the higher-education of Hispanic youth.  

The Payless Inspiring Possibilities Scholarship Program gives customers a special opportunity to show their support for students in style with this on-trend affordable accessory that is charitable and designed to support this vital and valuable cause. This year's exclusively designed wrap bracelets are available in two colors for the fall: teal and bronze. The bilingual bracelets are perfect for collecting and layering -- the latest trend in arm jewelry. The tasteful design features inspirational words stenciled in both English and Spanish: Dream/Sonar, Believe/Creer, and Inspire/Inspirar.

"Payless ShoeSource is proud to partner once again with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund in its mission to make higher education more accessible to Hispanic youth," said Gaby Alban, spokesperson for Payless. "We encourage people to buy the bracelets to stylishly show their support for this year's Inspiring Possibilities Scholarship Program."

Through last year's Payless Inspiring Possibilities Scholarship program Payless was able to award 12 HSF scholarships to students from all over the country for the 2010-2011 academic year.

"Words cannot fully describe how grateful I am to Payless for their contribution to my educational career. Receiving this scholarship not only helped finance my education, but it gave me the opportunity to successfully complete my first year of doctorial studies," said Lilyana Ortega, PhD student, department of educational psychology at the University of Illinois in Champaign. "Graduate school is an extremely demanding and rigorous endeavor, knowing that financial supporters, such as Payless, believed in me and were willing to put money on that belief served as a major source of motivation as I faced obstacles that inevitably come with doctorial studies. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Payless for their continued commitment to higher education," added Lilyana.

"We are pleased to have the continued support of Payless ShoeSource," said Frank Alvarez, president and CEO of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. "The Payless Inspiring Possibilities Scholarship Program is a wonderful campaign that people can participate in to help ensure our promising Latino students have access to a college education. We encourage people to show their support with the bracelets as we strive to better educate the next generation of American Latinos."

For more information on the two limited-edition bracelet styles and/or the Payless Inspiring Possibilities Scholarship Program, please visit www.payless.com/hhm. Payless ShoeSource® will donate $2.50 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund for each Inspiring Possibilities bracelet sold from September 1-30, 2011, with a total minimum donation of $37,000 for the 2011 program.  To learn more about the Hispanic Scholarship Fund go to www.hsf.net.  Bracelets are available in select Payless stores and Payless.com while supplies last. Purchase price of bracelet is not tax-deductible; not valid with BOGO offer. 

About Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)

Founded in 1975, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund believes that the country prospers when all Americans have access to the opportunities a college education can afford.  As the nation's leading Hispanic higher education fund, HSF works to address the barriers that keep many Latinos from earning a college degree. HSF has awarded over $330 million in scholarships over the past 36 years and has supported a broad range of outreach and education programs to help students and their families navigate collegiate life, from gaining admission and securing financial aid to finding employment after graduation.  HSF envisions a future where every Latino household will have at least one college graduate, creating an enduring impact on the college outlook of Latino families nationwide, and strengthening the American economy for generations to come. For more information about the Hispanic Scholarship Fund please visit: www.HSF.net.

About Payless & Collective Brands, Inc.

Payless ShoeSource, Inc., a unit of Collective Brands, Inc., is the largest specialty family footwear retailer in the Western Hemisphere and is dedicated to democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories for all to enjoy. Payless offers customers a range of well-recognized brands such as Dexter®, Airwalk®, Champion®, Above the Rim® and Smart Fit®, as well as designer labels by Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Isabel Toledo and Silvia Tcherassi. As of the end of the first quarter 2011, the company operated nearly 4,500 stores throughout the Americas and an online store (www.Payless.com) and also currently has nearly 100 franchised stores located in Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Collective Brands, Inc. (NYSE: PSS) is a leader in bringing compelling lifestyle, fashion and performance brands for footwear and related accessories to consumers worldwide. The company operates three strategic units covering a powerful brand portfolio, as well as multiple price points and selling channels including retail, wholesale, ecommerce and licensing. Collective Brands, Inc. includes Payless ShoeSource, focused on democratizing fashion and design in footwear and accessories through its nearly 4,500-store retail chain, with its brands Airwalk®, Dexter®, Champion®, and designer collections by fashion designers Christian Siriano, Lela Rose, Isabel Toledo and Silvia Tcherassi; Collective Brands Performance + Lifestyle Group, focused on lifestyle and performance branded footwear and high-quality children's footwear sold primarily through wholesaling, with its brands including Stride Rite®, Keds®, Sperry Top-Sider® Robeez®, and Saucony®, among others; and Collective Licensing International, the brand development, management and global licensing unit, with such youth lifestyle brands as Airwalk®, Above The Rim®, Vision Street Wear®, STRIKEFORCE(TM), Clinch Gear(TM), Sims®, Lamar® and LTD®, World Snowboarding Championships(TM) and Hind®. Information about, and links for shopping on, each of the Collective Brand's units can be found at www.collectivebrands.com.

SOURCE Payless ShoeSource, Inc.