 Soles4Souls Asks Holiday Shoppers To Step Up Charity To Build World’s Largest Tower of Shoes NASHVILLE, Tenn., (Oct. 16, 2008)—The footwear charity Sole4Souls is hoping people will step up this holiday season to help create the world’s largest tower of shoes. The charity drive, held in conjunction with Opry Mills, will begin on Nov. 5 and end on New Year’s Eve. The 12-foot tall display will feature photographs of people around the world who have been touched by the gift of new shoes as well as their stories. “This is a creative and effective way for us to spread the message of our organization,” says Soles4Souls founder and CEO Wayne Elsey. “The amount of support we’ve received from local businesses and individuals has been incredible, and with their help, we are looking forward to breaking the world record for most shoes collected in a single event.” “This holiday season, we are inviting the public to ‘shop smarter’ at Opry Mills and take advantage of many special amenities we are putting in place,” says marketing director Lynn Kittel. “The Soles4Souls initiative, with its focus on reuse and refurbishment in support of those in need, is a wonderful complement to that program.” The idea was inspired by a letter the non-profit organization received earlier this year. Written by a young boy name Joseph Wells, his letter describes how if he could be a gift, he’d turn himself into a pair of shoes for a child in Haiti. “The child would be so happy when they opened me, because he or she would finally be able to walk on the dirt roads without hurting their feet and they would be able to go to school because they had shoes,” he writes. In addition, participating Opry Mills merchants have agreed to do their part by offering customers a discount incentive on new merchandise for those who donate a pair of shoes. Each store will collect shoes and add them to the main collection site. Participating stores include Liz Claiborne Shoes, Harry & David, Hartstrings, IZOD, Off Broadway Shoes, Reebok and more. | |
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