NEW YORK, June 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Jones Apparel Group's (NYSE: JNY) corporate cause initiative, which led to the creation of the non- profit organization, Jones New York In The Classroom, received an unprecedented three Cause Marketing Halo Awards, the industry's highest honor for cause marketing, at the fourth annual Cause Marketing Forum conference held in New York.

Jones Apparel Group commissioned extensive research to learn that causes related to children and their education are a top priority to both its customers and employees, providing the focus for its first corporate-wide cause initiative, the establishment of an independent non-profit organization, Jones New York In The Classroom. Launched in 2005, with a rich blend of promotional, fundraising, employee and retail engagement tactics, the initiative generated trade and consumer interest, and customer and employee support for Jones New York In The Classroom, which in turn helped several non- profit beneficiaries - TeachersCount, New Teacher Academy, Fund for Teachers and Adopt-A-Classroom - address issues facing teachers, including recruitment, retention and recognition.

Jones Apparel Group won Gold awards for Best Social/Service/Education Campaign and Best National/Local Integration, and the Silver award for Best Print Creative for its cause initiative. Jones Apparel Group shared the awards with Jones New York In The Classroom and its four non-profit beneficiaries and with Jones Apparel Group's agencies, The Leverage Group and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.

"The Cause Marketing Halo Awards demonstrate the good that can be done when businesses and nonprofits team up," said David Hessekiel, President of Cause Marketing Forum, Inc., the program's organizer. "It's a competition in which we all win."

A critical component of the Jones Apparel Group cause program is the extent to which Jones Apparel Group associates and its customers and business partners can get involved in the cause, including by volunteering for Jones New York In The Classroom. Jones Apparel Group corporate employees also have more than 250,000 hours of paid volunteer time to commit to helping teachers and improving education at the grassroots level in school classrooms and school activities.

Working through the company's signature brand, Jones New York, the cause program engages retail partners, including Macy's and Carson Pirie Scott, to conduct a Shop for Education Week where 10 percent of Jones Apparel Group's profits from sales of Jones New York clothing are donated to Jones New York In The Classroom. Additionally, Jones New York In The Classroom offers two retail items to raise funds to benefit Jones New York In The Classroom, which donates funds to its non-profit beneficiaries.

"Our company mantra is that teachers are the heart and soul of our children's education and they need our support. Working with our associates and customers, we bring this to life at the retail level and in classrooms across the country," noted Amy Rapawy, Vice President of Marketing for Jones New York.

The Jones Apparel Group winning entries were selected from more than 65 entries from corporations across the country. Sixteen category-specific awards were given to 2005 campaigns.

"We hope Jones Apparel Group's successful model for its cause program and support of Jones New York In The Classroom provides the leadership and inspiration for other corporations to join us in making a profound difference in the quality of our children's education," Rapawy added. For more information on Jones New York In The Classroom, please visit http://www.jnyintheclassroom.org.

Jones New York In The Classroom is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of education in America and inspiring others, both individuals and corporations, to do the same through support of teachers and vital teacher-based programs. For more information on Jones New York In The Classroom and the non-profit organizations it has benefited, please visit http://www.jnyintheclassroom.org.

Jones Apparel Group, Inc. (http://www.jny.com), a Fortune 500 company, is a leading designer, marketer and wholesaler of branded apparel, footwear and accessories. The Company also markets directly to consumers through our chain of specialty retail and value-based stores, and operates the Barneys New York chain of luxury stores. The Company's nationally recognized brands include Jones New York, Evan-Picone, Norton McNaughton, Gloria Vanderbilt, Erika, l.e.i., Energie, Nine West, Easy Spirit, Enzo Angiolini, Bandolino, Joan & David, Mootsies Tootsies, Sam & Libby, Napier, Judith Jack, Kasper, Anne Klein, Albert Nipon, Le Suit and Barneys New York. The Company also markets costume jewelry under the Givenchy brand licensed from Givenchy Corporation and footwear under the Dockers Women brand licensed from Levi Strauss & Co. Each brand is differentiated by its own distinctive styling, pricing strategy, distribution channel and target consumer. The Company primarily contracts for the manufacture of its products through a worldwide network of quality manufacturers. The Company has capitalized on its nationally known brand names by entering into various licenses for several of its trademarks, including Jones New York, Evan-Picone, Anne Klein New York, Nine West, Gloria Vanderbilt and l.e.i., with select manufacturers of women's and men's products which the Company does not manufacture. For more than 30 years, the Company has built a reputation for excellence in product quality and value, and in operational execution.

SOURCE Jones Apparel Group, Inc.

CONTACT: Sally McDonough for Jones New York In The Classroom, +1-202-729-4215, Sally.McDonough@ogilvypr.com/ /Web site: http://www.jnyintheclassroom.org http://www.jny.com