News
Heaven Is For Real Inks Deal With Kerusso
BERRYVILLE, Ark.—Sept. 14, in the year of our Lord 2011
– The family behind the surprise, runaway best seller, Heaven Is
For Real, has named Kerusso, the leader in Christian apparel and
accessories, as exclusive apparel license partner.
Heaven Is For Real has sold 4.6 million copies and spent 42
weeks as a New York Times best seller. It tells the astonishing
story of Colton Burpo, who as the 4-year-old son of Todd and
Sonja Burpo, woke from emergency appendix surgery with a
staggering tale: On the operating table, Colton had died, gone
to Heaven, seen astonishing things and returned.
Colton, now 12, only told the story slowly, over years, to his
pastor dad and his mom. Incredulous at first, the honesty and
content of his tale convinced them it was real. The book from
Thomas Nelson Publishers, without support of a big ad budget or
book tour, became a sensation. And it generated legions of
encouraged readers who wanted products to retell the story.
“Sonja and I are grateful for our new partnership with Kerusso,”
Todd Burpo said. “We’ve been overwhelmed by the demand for
products, and Kerusso has now taken that burden off of our
shoulders. It’s nice to have a proven professional company
looking out for us.”
Looking out for the apparel and accessory needs of the Christian
community is where Kerusso excels. Nearing its 25th anniversary,
Kerusso has been a pioneer and innovator in sharing
inspirational and entertaining messages on its Christian
t-shirts and accessories.
For example, the Heaven Is For Real t-shirt, available in stores
in mid-October, features the book title on the shirt front. On
back, it says, “and you’re gonna like it!”
“Kerusso’s mission is ‘Proclaiming the Good News to the world
through products about Jesus,’” said Vic Kennett, Kerusso
president and CEO. “I can’t think of a more exciting way to do
that than helping the Burpo family spread Colton’s amazing
story. We’re thrilled to help them tell the world that Heaven
truly is for real.”
Kerusso also will produce a Heaven Is For Real wristband in its
Christian accessories line.
With more than 10 million t-shirts sold, Kerusso has grown from
a part-time family business to the industry leader in
Christian-themed apparel, selling products through more than
5,000 retail outlets in the United States and 90 other
countries. Having started in the Kennett family home, Kerusso
has expanded to become among the leading employers in
Berryville, Ark., with more than 100 employees operating from a
65,000-square-foot facility on a 10-acre campus.
The Heaven Is For Real products will be available beginning in
mid-October wherever Christian apparel is sold.