Batters Up For Shoes

BASEBALL STARS TEAM UP WITH SOLES4SOULS TO DONATE

NASHVILLE (Dec. 18, 2006) -- Soles4Souls Inc. announced today that it has signed an agreement with three baseball stars to help deliver free shoes to their home countries. Manny Mota, Raul Mondesi and Orlando Cabrera have teamed up with Soles4Souls to coordinate massive footwear drives in the Dominican Republic and Colombia.

"This is such an excellent partnership for us," said Paul Wilson, President of Soles4Souls. "We are delighted these three individuals are lending us their names and faces to help us get the word out about our mission, which is simply to provide the free gift of shoes to people who need it most."

Jose Mota, son of Manny Mota and currently a broadcaster for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Fox Sports, said it was his daughter, Alina, who found out about Soles4Souls and initiated the partnership. "Since she was six years old, Alina has been leading a program at her school to collect used uniforms to distribute to poor children in the Dominican Republic," Mota said. "She learned of Soles4Souls through a parent at school and pitched the idea to us -- so it was really Alina who got the ball rolling on this project," he said.

The agreement between the three baseball stars and Soles4Souls states that each player will receive a container worth of shoes, which is about 15,000 pairs. The players will help distribute the footwear to communities in their respective home countries. "This is part of an ongoing effort to open more doors for poor people," said Jose Mota. "By giving their time and resources to make this deal happen, we know that these shoes will end up on the right feet," he said.

Manny Mota is famous for his pinch-hitting prowess during his days as a Major League Baseball player. Today, in addition to being a coach for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he runs the Manny Mota Foundation with his wife, Margarita. The Foundation provides educational, health and recreational opportunities for the underprivileged, especially disadvantaged youth, both here in the United States and his home country of the Dominican Republic. Mota will distribute his container of shoes in the El Tamarindo area of Santo Domingo. The shoes will help round out his organization's efforts to provide food, medical, dental and vision care for people in the Dominican Republic.

Raul Mondesi is famous for his fielding expertise, hustle, and his 'rocket arm' that earned him National League Rookie of the Year in 1994. He will help distribute the shoes in San Cristóbal, where he is currently a deputy police officer. He has constantly been active in his community, whether assisting with hurricane cleanup efforts or visiting poor people in jail, according to Mota.
Orlando Cabrera, currently the shortstop for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, is regarded as one of the best players at his position. He helped bring the first World Series title to Boston in 86 years while he was a Red Sox player in 2004 and signed with the Angels in 2005. He will help distribute the shoes in his hometown of Cartagena, Colombia.

"Each of these men are people of faith reaching out to needy people in their communities," said Jose Mota. "They are excited to use every opportunity available to them to reach this goal, and by teaming up with Soles4Souls we can make this a reality," he said.