“Fight Like a Girl.” The phrase adorns shirts and merchandise now seen all over the nation. It’s catchy, and the products come in a girl’s favorite color — pink. But there is a real fight and a passionate cause behind the phrase and the campaign.

“It all started with a T-shirt,” said Janni Jensen, associate at Signify Pink. “Now it’s grown into jewelry, accessories, pet accessories and scrapbooking.”

The foundation began when mammography technologist Kelly Flaucher at Covenant Medical Canter in Waterloo took the cause to heart. The patient she was diagnosing was someone close to her. Mary Seitz, one of the nurses that worked with her, was diagnosed with breast cancer.

To raise money for Seitz, Flaucher got in touch with Signify Promotions, a screen-printing and apparel decorating company in Ames. Glenda Elliot, the account executive, designed a shirt with the phrase “Fight Like a Girl.”

The staff at Covenant Medical Center sold the shirts to raise money for Seitz. In only five short weeks, they had made enough profit off the shirts to completely cover all of the $200,000 in medical expenses beyond what insurance would cover.

After Seitz had enough to cover her expenses, she gave the “Fight Like a Girl” art back to Sigler and asked them to keep going with the shirts. The campaign now raises money for women with breast cancer all over the nation.  

A new division was created at Sigler Promotion dedicated to “Fight Like a Girl.” Signify Pink now handles all of the pink apparel and merchandise. Proceeds from the wholesale division are given to Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at University of Iowa. The online retail store donates its proceeds to Free Clinics of Iowa.

The fundraising division is what really sets the “Fight Like a Girl” campaign apart from the rest. Individuals can start their own personal campaign, and the proceeds go directly toward their medical expenses instead of going through another organization.

Retail stores around Iowa began asking for merchandise in 2008 and wanted the apparel especially for breast cancer awareness month in October. The first line came out in September 2008 with 25 basic pieces. The line was such a hit that many of the stores kept the products after October ended.

“This isn’t just an October issue, it’s a year-round issue,” Jensen said.  “One in eight women will get breast cancer. It’s immediate, and it’s very close to us. That’s why it’s such a passionate cause.”

In less than a year, the “Fight Like a Girl” products raised more than $350,000 to help the breast cancer cause. There are now 1,400 retail stores carrying the merchandise. The campaign has touched countless lives through its fundraising efforts.

“We really felt like we had something when we started, but it’s grown really fast. We’ve been really blessed,” Jensen said.

“The Fight Like a Girl” line has significantly expanded since the original T-shirt. This fall, there are more than 100 items in the catalog, ranging from the original T-shirt to dog apparel, earrings, water bottles and scrapbooking kits.

Men aren’t ignored in this fight either. “Fight Like a Guy for the Girls” and “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” are some of the slogans that adorn the men’s line.

The new line “Think Strong, Think Pink” launched recently, and there are also limited edition shirts for 2010 now available.

“We are always looking for new products and new ways to grow,” Jensen said.

Sigler on Main carries several of the products in the store. Many other retailers around Ames have also picked up merchandise and are supporting the cause. The full retail store is available online at signifypink.com.