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Prime Outlets Donates More Than $340,000 to Help Fight Breast Cancer

BALTIMORE, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the launch of its Operation Shop Pink bonus card program, a shopper incentive and fundraising initiative held during October's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Prime Outlets, a collection of 22 outlet shopping centers located throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico, announced today a donation of $342,314.68 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF).

Operation Shop Pink, which began Sept. 15, 2009, invited Prime Outlets shoppers to purchase Shop Pink Bonus Cards in the amount of $2.00 each. Upon presentation of a card at participating merchants including leading designer and name-brands such as COACH, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Brooks Brothers, Columbia Sportswear and Polo Ralph Lauren, among many more, shoppers were treated to additional savings of up to 25 percent off a purchase from October 1-31.

"With a fundraising goal originally set at $50,000, our Operation Shop Pink program was indeed a tremendous portfolio-wide success," said Prime Outlets Senior Vice President Karen E. Fluharty. "We are especially grateful to our merchants and the thousands of shoppers who took part in our bonus card program."

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation will use the donation to fund one entire research project. The specific grant will be announced in October at their Symposium and Luncheon at The Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

About The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® (BCRF)

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research. In October 2009, nearly $28.5 million was awarded to 173 scientists across the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. BCRF perseveres in directing at least 85 cents of every dollar raised directly to research. And for the eighth consecutive year, BCRF received Charity Navigator's highest rating, four stars, thus outperforming over 99.8% of the 5,400 evaluated charities, while the American Institute of Philanthropy has awarded BCRF its highest possible rating of A+. BCRF is the only breast cancer organization in the U.S. to receive these accolades. For more information about BCRF, visit www.bcrfcure.org.

About Prime Outlets

Headquartered in Baltimore, Md., Prime Outlets owns and operates 22 outlet shopping centers in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Spanning more than 8.2 million square feet throughout major United States markets and Puerto Rico, Prime Outlets is home to more than 400 leading designer and name-brands such as Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Burberry, kate spade, Michael Kors, St. John, Juicy Couture, Stuart Weitzman, Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH( )and Neiman Marcus Last Call. The company's retail outlets serve major markets including Orlando, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., Austin/San Antonio, Texas and Williamsburg, Va., among many more. The company currently has two new ground-up projects in development: Prime Outlets - Grand Prairie, serving the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area, and Prime Outlets - Livermore Valley, serving the San Francisco Bay region. On December 8, 2009, the company entered into a definitive agreement with Simon Property Group to acquire its portfolio of outlet center properties. The transaction is expected to close late in the first quarter of 2010. For more information, please visit .

SOURCE Prime Outlets