Painting with a Twist Raises Nearly $95,000 for Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer

Painting with a Twist, the nation's original and largest paint-and-sip franchise, raised $94,935 throughout the month of July to benefit the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer through the company's charitable arm, Painting with a Purpose. This is the largest donation the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer has ever received from a third party fundraising event.

As part of the program, 115 local Painting with a Twist studios held charity events through Painting with a Purpose, part of the businesses' commitment to giving back through painting parties. Each location chose paintings that were specially selected for the event and a portion of the proceeds went to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. At certain locations, owners held auctions, raffles and sold paintings to raise even more money for the cause.

This marks the fourth year for the partnership. To date, Painting with a Twist studios have raised more than $240,600 for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. Painting with a Twist co-founders and industry pioneers Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney are dedicated to giving back to local communities with their roots firmly planted in the non-profit world.

"We're happy to support the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer and are proud to have donated the largest gift ever to the foundation from a third party fundraising event," said Deano. "This year's huge success wouldn't have been feasible without the enthusiastic participation of our system. We love to be able to raise money for a good cause, and we know our customers and franchisees had fun while doing it."

At Painting with a Twist, guests come together to experience a unique 'getaway' that includes friends, paint and the option to BYOB. Led by local art instructors, guests paint on bare canvases using paint and brushes provided by the studio. There are more than 7,500 original pieces of copyrighted artwork, ranging from landscapes, abstracts and cityscapes, to creative renderings of animas, iconic buildings and florals, which have all been conceptualized and produced by Painting with a Twist art instructors.

"The Painting with a Purpose event is by far the largest one hosted by a charity partner," said Lynda Houk, executive director of the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. "We are humbled and grateful for Painting with a Twist's generous donation and the outstanding energy that the participating studios committed to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer."

To learn more about Painting with a Twist, visit: https://www.paintingwithatwist.com.

About Painting with a Twist

Painting with a Twist, based in Mandeville, Louisiana is the leading paint-and-sip franchise with more than 250 studios in 32 states. Founded in 2007 by Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney, Painting with a Twist began franchising in 2009 and provides customers with paint, a canvas and brushes that lead to a fun evening with friends and a finished piece of art. The company maintains a strong focus on giving back to the local community, and to date, Painting with a Twist has donated more than $2 million through their charity arm, Painting with a Purpose. As the fastest-growing franchise in the industry, Painting with a Twist has been ranked the No. 1 Paint and Sip franchise as part of Entrepreneur magazine's annual Franchise 500 edition for the past three years. For more information about Painting with a Twist's franchise opportunity, visit www.paintingwithatwistfranchise.com.

About The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer

The Foundation is celebrating its 19th year of funding the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research Laboratories at the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Since 1998, the Foundation has played an integral role in changing the face of breast cancer research by supporting 22 labs and 34 researchers and clinicians who are leading major advancements in drug therapies and setting a world-wide standard. To date, the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer has raised $25.7 million. The Foundation receives funding through national events, generous gifts from Vera Bradley (Nasdaq:VRA), and through donations on verabradley.org.