Soles4Souls.org is Launched!

Soles4Souls™ is launched to offer hope worldwide with the gift of shoes.

Long term footwear executive, Wayne Elsey, President of Kodiak-Terra USA, Inc. announced today the birth of Soles4Souls.

“Soles4Souls has been formed to facilitate donations of shoes which will be used to aid the hurting worldwide. Shoe companies, retailers, and individuals can donate footwear both new and used. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)3 and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages,” said Elsey.

The idea behind gifts of shoes is nothing new to the Soles4Souls team, as they recently did a relief effort for the Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, netting over 900,000 pairs donated for these two disasters. At that time, they operated as KatrinaShoes.org with several churches partnering in the collection and distribution of footwear.

“Soles4Souls will be headed up by Paul Wilson as President and General Manager. Paul worked closely with us for KatrinaShoes.org and did a terrific job. We have secured a distribution center and a staff in Wadley, Alabama that will process, sort and distribute the donated footwear,” added Elsey.

“The opportunity here is endless. We already have product requests to go to Africa, Sudan, Venezuela, Southeast Asia and the Dominican Republic. We continue to service the hard hit Katrina Region which today still has large needs,” said Paul Wilson, President and General Manager. “I am thrilled to steer the ship for Soles4Souls and have seen the huge difference shoes have made in people’s lives,” he added.

“It is all about HOPE. People need Hope,” Wilson said. “The success that we have had in 2005 will help us move forward in the future with a huge effort from shoe companies, retailers and individuals to make footwear donations of any kind. We have places for almost any category,” he said.

Elsey, the shoe guy, will hold a board seat in the new non-profit organization. Connie Elder, the brainchild behind Connie Elder International and a QVC Spokesperson, will also hold a seat on the board. (http://www.connieelder.com/)

For more information about Soles4Souls, please check out the new website at http://www.soles4souls.org/. There is a link to review what happened for the Katrina victims. If you have any immediate donations or questions, please feel free to contact Paul Wilson directly at 334-TO-DONATE.