• by Tanya Gazdik , June 16, 2010

Former actress/model and designer Kathy Ireland joins professional ballroom dancer Chelsie Hightower and style guide Bobbie Thomas to assist Allergan's Latisse in supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Inspired by the tradition of blowing on a fallen eyelash to make wishes come true, the three celebs will each lead a team of Latisse users from across the country who are challenged to raise more than a quarter of a million dollars for the nonprofit organization dedicated to granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Latisse is a prescription treatment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to grow lashes longer, fuller and darker for those with inadequate or not enough lashes (eyelash hypotrichosis).

This is the second year that Allergan has created a campaign with Latisse to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, says Heather Katt, senior manager, corporate communications at Irvine, Calif.-based Allergan, Inc. Last year, the campaign generated $1 million, Katt tells Marketing Daily.

The "Wishes" effort launched in March 2009 with an initial donation of $500,000 from Allergan to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and consumers helped double the contribution to $1 million by registering their support at www.latisse.com. Actress Brooke Shields and beauty expert to the stars Anastasia Soare led the campaign.

This year, teams will call upon consumers to participate in the online campaign by joining their team and donating a minimum of $20 Allergan will double each individual's donation, with a maximum donation of $250,000, through Oct. 31. The first 10,000 campaign participants who make the minimum donation of $20 will receive a Latisse free trial certificate, which they can then take to a doctor to determine if the product is right for them.

Consumers can participate in the challenge by joining a team at www.LatisseWishesChallenge.com. There, site visitors and current Latisse users can also upload their personal lash photos documenting their own results before and after treatment.

Supporters also can track how much money is being raised by each of the teams and learn more about the wishes granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation by visiting the Web site. Campaign supporters can also stay connected to the teams on Twitter @WishesChallenge as well as share their involvement in the Challenge through Facebook to help generate more support for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The celebs are also participating in a variety of national media interviews to help spread the word about the campaign, Katt says.

Ireland, Hightower and Thomas will share their experience growing their lashes longer, fuller and darker with Latisse solution over the course of the campaign.

About 1.5 million bottlep have been sold since the product launched a little more than a year ago, said Robert Grant, president of Allergan Medical, a division of Allergan, Inc., in a statement.