Pura Vida – Give Back

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In this crazy and often unjust world where the majority of the population is underfed, underpaid, and vastly underrepresented, one of the things that brings me the most joy is sharing with all of you the companies of the world that are dedicated to giving back. It gives me hope that there are still honest, good people and compaies who recognize the pain of those suffering and the glaring disparity across not only our own nation but countries and continents as a whole. Pura Vida is one such company.

Founded by surfers Griffin Thall and Paul Goodman on a college grad trip to Costa Rica, Pura Vida started as just a handful of bracelets made by Costa Rican artists Jorge and Joaquin. Pura Vida has grown from it’s humble Southern California beginnings into a national brand, which focuses not only on stimulating the Costa Rican economy but giving back to charities around the globe. Featured in the Forbes 30 under 30 for 2015, these two surfer boys turned philanthropists were on track to make $9 million in 2014 alone. The beauty of their amazing company is that not only does each bracelet purchased help provide jobs for local Costa Rican artisans like Jorge and Joaquin (who now make enough money to live in a house of their own and employ 65 of their friends), Pura Vida also devised a way to give back solely to charity…and so the Charity Collection came to be.

The Charity Collection was created to give back to charities all over the world through the sale of individual charity bracelets. In 2013 Pura Vida doanted over $140,000 to 190+ charity organizations, with over $315,000 donated in 2014. In addition, they are a 1% for the Planet member donating back to over forty 1% for the Planet non-profit partners through their Enviro-Causes Charity Collection. From the protection of our ocean habitats to cancer research and anti-domestic violence support, Pura Vida goes above and beyond to give back to our world and pay-it-forward. With bracelets around just $5.00, there is no reason not to get involved and give back! Plus, as a Pura Vida brand rep, I have a 10% off code to share with all of you, my sweet readers. Just plug in MAYA10 at check out <3

I am wearing a number of their charity bracelets which represent causes that mean the most to me, their ‘Anti Domestic Violence‘, ‘Stop Bullying‘  ‘Joyful Heart Foundation‘(anti domestic violence and sexual abuse), ‘Save the Dolphins‘, ‘Billion Baby Turtles‘, ‘Climate Warrior‘, ‘Surf Aid Platinum‘, ‘Not For Sale‘ (anti child slavery) and ‘Serenity Place Cat Rescue‘ to name a few. One dollar from each bracelet is donated back to these incredible organizations that are working to protect our environments, our people, and our animals. Women and children’s rights and safety are incredibly close to my heart, along with anti-bullying because of my own experiences. I have always had a great love for the environment and animals – and believe that it is necessary that we not only become conscious of what we are doing to out beautiful planet and the living things in it but that we also actively  get involved in protecting and sustaining what we have.

Pura Vida is far more than just a saying, it is a lifestyle representing the simple things in life. “Pura Vida” (pu·ra vi·da), which means “pure life” in Spanish, is ’embodied by the enjoyment of a life lived slowly, the celebration of good fortune, and the refusal to take anything for granted. It’s about being free and living life to the fullest; it’s an attitude’. All too often we forget just how blessed we are to have access to clean water, to education, to shelter…things that the majority of the world sees as luxuries; there are too many suffering for us to ignore. By giving back, in whatever way we can, we can participate in what I see as our duty to better the world, to give thanks for our own beautiful lives, and to preserve a planet that is the only one we get.

SUIT: c/o Triangl  ::  BRACELETS: c/o Pura Vida  ::  Photography by Stacie Hess

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