Friday, July 21, 2006

Soles4Souls at WSA!

WSA BRINGS TOGETHER SOLES4SOULS AND K.I.D.S., TWO CHARITIES NOW WORKING TO PROVIDE FOOTWEAR TO CHILDREN IN NEED

New Outreach Program Launching at WSA Aids American Children

ENCINO, Calif. (July 19, 2006) -- Diane Stone, chief operating officer of WSA, which produces the WSA Show, the world’s largest and most comprehensive footwear and accessories trade show, certainly knows the value of a perfect pair. When she was approached by two different charities – Soles4Souls and Kids in Distressed Situations (K.I.D.S.) – about exhibiting at the WSA Show, both wanting to reach out to the footwear industry for help to provide footwear to those in need, she immediately began match-making.

The result of Stone’s efforts and those conversations is a powerful new partnership. Soles4Soles and K.I.D.S. have announced a program to provide footwear to children in need in the United States. They will share information about this new initiative and sign up partners at their display in the lobby of the Sands Expo at the WSA Show, August 1-4, 2006.

“Here were two organizations independently inquiring about how they might work with WSA to gain visibility in the industry to help them achieve their missions,” said Ms. Stone. “It was clear that they would have a stronger presence if they collaborated to reach out to everyone at the show. We just facilitated that conversation between the two organizations and helped brainstorm how they could appear together at WSA.”
“Diane and her team at WSA immediately saw synergies between our two organizations’ efforts to serve underserved children and brought us together,” said Soles4Soles President Paul Wilson. “Soles4Soles has the infrastructure to collect and deliver donations of footwear. K.I.D.S. has a network of more than 1,100 distribution points throughout the U.S. that reach children in need. Together, we created a powerful system to gather donations of footwear from retailers, manufacturers and others and get it where it’s needed most.”

Janice Weinman, president of K.I.D.S., said, “We are committed to improving the lives of children in distress. Soles4Souls will help establish key donation channels to help us fill the need for children’s footwear in the U.S. WSA’s support was critical in bringing this partnership to life. We look forward to meeting people in the footwear industry at WSA who want to help us help kids.”

Stone added, “All year long, our team at WSA is helping create partnerships between buyers and manufacturers and licensors of footwear, so bringing these two organizations together was natural. We also work closely with the footwear industry’s own Two Ten Foundation, so we know that there are a lot of caring and generous people in our industry who do not hesitate to help others. We wish Soles4Souls and K.I.D.S. the best of luck at the August show and beyond.”

K.I.D.S., founded in 1985, is a global charity that works with leading retailers, manufacturers and licensors of children’s and youth products, in partnership with major foundations, to help improve the lives of children and their families who struggle with illness, poverty or natural disasters. Since its founding, K.I.D.S. has donated over $500 million worth of merchandise to more than 60 million children in need. For more information, visit www.kidsdonations.org or call 212/279-5493.

Soles4Souls was founded by Wayne Elsey, a long term footwear industry executive. Soles4Souls facilitates the donation of shoes to those in need worldwide. Operating as KatrinaShoes.org, it collected more than one million pairs of shoes for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunami. More recently, Soles4Soles partnered with Feed the Children to deliver over 85,000 pairs of new and used footwear to the orphans and refugees of Uganda. Soles4Soles accepts donations of footwear for children and adults, alike, with a focus on athletic, outdoor, casual, comfort, workwear, boots and sandals. Visit www.soles4souls.org for more information.

About the World Shoe Association (WSA)
Twice a year in Las Vegas, WSA simultaneously hosts the WSA Show, the world’s largest and most comprehensive marketplace for the footwear industry, and The Collections at WSA, the world’s largest luxury footwear event. Featuring over 6,000 brands and nearly 36,000 participants, these combined events offer an unmatched opportunity for manufacturers to showcase their products and for buyers to discover the latest trends. The WSA Show is the must-attend event for anyone involved in the footwear and accessories industry. For more information, please visit www.wsashow.com or www.thecollectionsatwsa.com.


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Thursday, July 13, 2006

Feed the Children and Soles4Souls team up for Uganda with 85k Pairs!!

Feed the Children and Soles4Souls Deliver 85,000 Pairs of Shoes to Uganda, Africa

The people of Uganda have battled against a runaway AIDS pandemic, a brutal civil war that has lasted for nearly two decades, and millions of orphaned children who struggle simply to make ends meet. Feed the Children is one organization that has offered its desperately-needed assistance, sending teams of volunteers to the region and procuring food, medical supplies, clothing and other necessities.

Recently, Feed the Children partnered with Soles4Souls, the charity that collects and distributes new and used footwear for people in poverty, to deliver over 85,000 pairs of shoes to the orphans and refugees of Uganda. Soles4Souls, which begin in the wake of the Asian Tsunami and continued through the devastating effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, collected these shoes from Teva, New Balance, and individuals around the country.

"We are ecstatic to be able to contribute these shoes to such a worthy cause," said Paul Wilson, President of Soles4Souls. "Feed the Children is a remarkable organization with whom we feel honored to entrust these donations. They are involved in all aspects of charitable programs, including delivering footwear to people who need it most," he said.

"I would like to thank the people at Soles4Souls for this generous donation which will make a huge and immediate impact on the lives of people who have literally nothing," said Larry Jones, president and co-founder of Feed The Children. "It may sound odd to say such a thing about something as simple as shoes, but to a person who has nothing this will mean the world. It will show the refugees in Uganda that there are people in the world that care about them."

Wilson pointed out that simple footwear donations can go a long way in areas that are lacking the most basic items. "Americans have more than 1.5 billion pairs of shoes in their closets while many of the poorest and needy go without any," he said. "It's a simple but telling gesture that can bring some assistance to those people in Africa and around the world."

Wilson added that partnering with Feed the Children was a simple decision because of the organization's mission and shipping resources. "We know that Feed the Children is dedicated to helping hurting and hungry people," he said. "It is expensive to ship this many shoes around the world, but FTC has taken the initiative to deliver these shoes to Africa."

Wilson also added that the shoes were already on their way to Uganda. The large shipment left the USA on July 13 and is scheduled for delivery by September 1.
About Soles4SoulsSoles4Souls facilitates the donations of shoes, which will be used to aid the hurting worldwide. Shoe companies, retailers, and individuals can donate footwear (both new and used) or cash. Soles4Souls is a 501(C)(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. For more information, visit http://www.soles4souls.org/ or call (334) TO-DONATE (334-863-6628).

About Feed the ChildrenDuring their 27-year history, Feed The Children has grown into one of the world's largest private organizations dedicated to helping hungry and hurting people. Last year, Feed The Children shipped 183 million pounds of food other essentials to children and families in all 50 states and internationally, supplementing more than 1,463,000 meals a day worldwide. Since their founding in 1979, Feed The Children has reached out to help children and families in 118 countries around the globe.For more information, visit http://www.feedthechildren.org/ or call (405) 942-0228.

SOURCE: Soles4SoulsCONTACT: Paul Wilson, President: 334-863-6628

Monday, July 03, 2006

Soles4Souls and Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc (K.I.D.S.) Announce Key Partnership

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION

Soles4Souls and Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. (K.I.D.S.) Announce Key Partnership

NEW YORK, NY -- Soles4Souls, the charity that collects and distributes new and used footwear for people in poverty, and Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. (K.I.D.S.) announced today that they were entering into a key alliance. Through this partnership, K.I.D.S. will be able to place specific orders of new and sample footwear for needy children in the United States by need and geographic region.

"This is a great way for us to expand our targeted giving options," said Wayne Elsey, longtime footwear executive and founder of Soles4Souls. "We will now be able to utilize the incredible distribution system that K.I.D.S. has exclusively for distribution of our footwear donations to children across the United States," he said.

Janice Weinman, President of K.I.D.S., which has been operating as a 501©(3) for more than 20 years, said that the alliance with Soles4Souls helps to fulfill some objectives for the organization. "We are committed to helping improve the lives of children and their families who are ill, living in poverty, or are the victims of natural disasters," Weinman said. "Soles4Souls will help us establish and open key donation channels from retailers, manufacturers and individuals to fill our footwear needs."

K.I.D.S. distributes new and donated merchandise for children and youth to more than 1,000 non-profit agencies that work with children in poverty-stricken communities, homeless shelters, foster-care facilities, hospitals, AIDS clinics and relief organizations within the United States and abroad. They are affiliated with the World Shoe Association (WSA) and the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA).

"A continual challenge for us is finding community agencies and other foundations that provide the support for infrastructure," said Rick Schaub, Chairman of the Board for K.I.D.S. "Soles4Soles gives our charity more options in delivering on our promise to provide materials and products that children in distressed situations need everyday."

"We are delighted to enter into this partnership with K.I.D.S.," said Paul Wilson, President of Soles4Souls. "They are a very respected organization and their mission is very similar to ours. We believe that by working together, we can impact thousands of hurting children across the country with the gift of new shoes."

Wilson said that the alliance will focus on marketing and distribution, with Soles4Souls collecting footwear through targeted shoe drives, issuing press releases, placing ads in footwear publications, tradeshow appearances, and other various marketing techniques. K.I.D.S. will handle the distribution of the donated footwear by pre-screening social service agencies who request the footwear and placing specific orders through Soles4Souls.

"It's truly a win-win for everyone," Wilson said. "Our ultimate mission is to get the footwear on the feet of hurting children, and the partnership with K.I.D.S. is vital for us to achieve our goal."


About Soles4Soles
Soles4Souls facilitates the 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©(3) recognized by the IRS and donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. For more information, visit www.soles4souls.org or call (334) TO-DONATE (334-863-6628).

About K.I.D.S.
Kids In Distressed Situations, Inc. (K.I.D.S.) is a global charity of leading retailers, manufacturers, and licensors of children's and youth products, in partnership with major foundations, committed to helping improve the lives of children and their families who are ill, living in poverty, or are the victims of natural disasters. Since 1985, K.I.D.S. has donated over $500 million worth of merchandise to more than 60 million children in need. For more information, visit www.kidsdonations.org or call (212) 279-5493.


SOURCE: SOLES4SOULS
CONTACTS: PAUL WILSON, PRESIDENT OF SOLES4SOULS : 334-863-6628
MICHELE SILVER, K.I.D.S. DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS: 212-279-5493

San Diego - success!

The shoe drive in San Diego was a complete success! The community responded to our call to action of donating footwear to the hurting worldwide. Thank you for all participants in this incredible event and stay tuned to our future plans in your market!