Kellie on the Today Show Talking About Soles4Souls

Kellie Pickler appeared on the Today Show last Wednesday morning. The country star talked about her new single, her upcoming USO Tour and her involvement with the Nashville-based Soles4Souls shoe charity. Pickler also discussed her Fearless Tour 2009 with friend Taylor Swift (their concert was sold out last Thursday at New York’s Madison Square Garden).

Continuing her support of Soles4Souls, Kellie teamed with Ladies’ Home Journal magazine to collect new and gently worn shoes on Thursday before the show. The drop point for the shoes was located at the entrance to the Garden and was open from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

Nashville-based Soles4Souls collects and distributes free footwear (both new and 'gently worn') to people in need around the world. Since its inception, Soles4Souls has distributed more than 5 million pairs -- currently one pair every 13 seconds -- to people in 125 countries, including Honduras, Romania, Thailand, The Sudan and the United States.

In addition to donations from the footwear industry, Soles4Souls has received shoes and support from Scarlett Johansson, Zach Braff, Billy Joel, Jessica Simpson, Donald Faison, Stevie Nicks and many other celebrities, professional athletes and musicians.

The organization was created by former footwear executive Wayne Elsey, who stepped down from his position to run the charity on a daily basis. He was moved to action during the Asian Tsunami when he watched a news report that focused on a single shoe on the beach. He rallied the footwear industry to donate 250,000 pairs of shoes to the areas affected. When Hurricane Katrina roared ashore in September 2005, Wayne and his newly formed charity donated over 1 Million pairs of shoes to the victims in the Gulf Region. Visit www.giveshoes.org for more information.

WOMEN'S TRAIL HALF MARATHON & SHOE DONATION SITE

Women of all ages are invited to The Dirt Inspires Women's Trail Half Marathon on Sunday at Nisene Marks National Park.

The all-women event, created by Terri Schneider and Penni Bengtson to encourage women to participate in trail running, is the first of its kind.

The event is the only "Go Green" event in the area, as it promotes car pooling and requires all runners to carry their own water bottles. Participants are also encouraged to donate used shoes to Soles4Souls.org.

Prize money will be offered to open, masters, and grand masters' division winners. Schneider is also offering a free "Trail Running is for Everyone" clinic at Fleet Feet in Aptos and an 8-week training program that can be purchased with an entry fee.

See Kellie Pickler Live, Help The Less Fortunate Get Free Shoes

Add Kellie Pickler's name to the list of stars who do more good than evil with their fame. At her Madison Square Garden Show with Taylor Swift, she's encouraging fans to bring new and gently-worn shoes to help support her partnership of Soles4Souls, an organization dedicated to distributing donated footwear to people all over the world. (Ladies Home Journal is also teaming with Pickler to assist in the footwear drive.)

Says Pickler of the org, "I love shoes but they are more than just a fashion statement, they are a necessity and not everyone has access to them because of financial reasons or natural disaster. Whatever the situation, Soles4Souls is there to help and I'm glad to lend my support. Thanks to the wonderful people from Ladies' Home Journal who are volunteering their time to come out and collect the shoes that people are giving." So far, Soles4Souls has gifted more than five million pairs to people in 125 countries. So donate a pair before you kick up your heels at Pickler's concert, and add your own name to the official do-gooder list.

Get $5 Toward a New Pair of Shoes at Runner's Depot by Donating Your Old Shoes to Soles4Souls

Got new running sneakers? That doesn’t mean you should scrap the old ones. Give the aged runners the opportunity to live a rich afterlife by donating to Soles4Souls. This non-profit company collects your old shoes and creates opportunities for thousands of needy people all over the world.

The Soles4Souls bin is available at several permanent donation locations (click on the link and enter your zip code to find the nearest location). If you choose to drop your shoes off at the Soles4Souls bin at Runner's Depot, you not only make room in your closet, but you also get a $5 discount on the next purchase at the Runner's Depot store. It’s a win-win, folks.

Video of Mike Dirnt

Check out this video of Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt talking about making his own shoe and helping children through Soles4Souls.

Soles4Souls donates hundreds of shoes to Royal Family Kids Camps delighting children across America!

Foster children at the Colorado Royal Family Kids’ Camp were startled to see fire trucks pulling into their camp — and then delighted when they saw a familiar camp counselor, Ms. Caelyn, on one of the trucks waving to them. The firemen showed them all the features of the truck, talked to them about firefighting and gave each camper a ride. Then, kids started to hear the rotors of an approaching helicopter. The kids started jumping up and down, screaming and waving at the team from the local “Flight for Life.” What a day! But wait — there was still more ... The firefighters lined all the children up in front of the helicopter and the Flight for Life team distributed a NEW PAIR of SHOES to every single camper!

Shoe charity Soles4Souls donated hundreds of pairs for the boys and girls who attended Royal Family Kids Camps across the country this summer. As the excited shouts and laughter from the Colorado kids made clear, this gift of shoes was a wonderful blessing and will be treasured!! We would like to thank Soles4Souls, all the wonderful firefighters, the Flight for Life teams and all others who donate their time to entertain and delight our campers each summer. Firetrucks, a helicopter and new shoes! The children from this Colorado Camp were amazed and delighted by an afternoon of wonders — in a beautiful setting near Pike’s Peak.

‘The [barefoot] Church Has Left the Building’

The congregation of First Baptist Church in Middleburg left their shoes at the altar...

MIDDLEBURG (FBW)–The congregation of First Baptist Church in Middleburg left church Aug. 9 barefoot after leaving their shoes at the altar.

The donation of more than 800 pairs of shoes was part of the church’s current emphasis, “The Church Has Left the Building.”

Pastor Alan Floyd told Florida Baptist Witness he was in the midst of preparing a sermon on the Good Samaritan in which he would tell the church “real love involves spontaneity and sacrifice.” The sermon was one in a series, “Love Loud.”

Floyd said he came across a statistic which said 300 million people wake up each day without any shoes.
Can this be?” he remembers asking himself.

The website of soles4souls (www.soles4souls.org) invites people to send in their “slightly used shoes,” so Floyd decided to surprise the church—even his wife, he said—with an invitation to donate their shoes.

Even though the church was told that those wearing “special shoes” could give money to buy another pair, about 800 pairs were collected Sunday, and donors brought more into the church office on Monday.

“I actually had to give away two pairs of my own shoes because we are in four services in two venues,” Floyd said.

“The Good Samaritan did not say, ‘Well, let me go take care of my business and get some old clothes on before I help the man dying in the ditch.’”

“The Church Has Left the Building” also includes building a handicap-accessible home for a local single mother and her three children. The building project involves the entire congregation, Floyd said, “even our preschoolers.”

Shoe-be, shoe-be, do: Country starlet Kellie Pickler wants your shoes, New York City

When country-newcomer Kellie Pickler sang her way to the top of the charts with “Red High Heels,” a tune about kicking her no-good man to the curb and then donning her favorite shoes for a night out on the town, the feel-good sentiment about shoes was for real.

That is, the former American Idol contestant-turned-country starlet really digs shoes, and that said, she wants everyone to have at least one good pair.

Growing up, Pickler's socio-economic status was modest at best, she has shared, and while these days she can afford to shoe shop--one of her favorite pastimes, by the way--at high-end retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, she understands what it's like to go without life's basics, including decent footwear.

With that, Kellie will continue her support of Soles4Souls on Thursday, Aug. 27, by joining with Ladies’ Home Journal to collect new and gently worn shoes before her show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The drop point for the shoes will be located at entrance to the Garden and will be open 5–9 p.m.

“I love shoes, but they are more than just a fashion statement," Pickler says, "they are a necessity and not everyone has access to them because of financial reasons or natural disaster."

As for her work on behalf of the Nashville-based Soles4Souls, which collects and distributes free footwear to people in need around the world, "Whatever the situation, Soles4Souls is there to help and I’m glad to lend my support," she adds. "Thanks to the wonderful people from Ladies’ Home Journal who are volunteering their time to come out and collect the shoes that people are giving.”

Pickler's upcoming performance in the Big Apple finds her joining her gal pal, Taylor Swift, on the latter's Fearless Tour for a sold-out show at the Garden. The pair wrote Pickler’s last single, “Best Days Of Your Life,” which has sold more than 700,000 digital downloads and peaked inside the top 10 on the country charts.

Celebs help out Soles4Souls shoe charity

Soles4Souls is attracting some serious celebrity muscle to its cause. CEO Wayne Elsey told Insider that the charity would introduce a new celebrity spokesperson every four to six weeks to help raise consumer awareness about the organization and the need for donated shoes. “It goes back to our strategic direction to get individuals to engage [with Soles4Souls] and get plugged in,” he said. Next up is Kellie Pickler, who is performing at Madison Square Garden with Taylor Swift on Aug. 27. Prior to the event, Pickler will promote Soles4Souls and the shoe drive tied to the concert during her appearance on “The Today Show.” Elsey said he hopes to gather 75,000 to 80,000 pairs of shoes at the show. Pickler follows in the footsteps of “Scrubs” stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison, who earlier this month collaborated on a video for 50000shoes.com, a drive to collect 50,000 pairs of shoes.

Goodwill First Baptist Church collecting shoes for shoe charity Soles4Souls

Goodwill First Baptist Church in Madison is collecting shoes for those in need as part of the Soles4Souls program. The church is accepting gently worn shoes, which will be given to those in need, such as victims of natural disaster and those living in poverty.

Shoes can be dropped off at the church at 1036 K-Fork Road through Aug. 28.

Soles4Souls, based in Nashville, Tenn., has provided more than 4.3 million pairs of shoes in more than 125 countries. For more information visit www.giveshoes.org.

Green Day's Dirnt designs shoe for charity Soles4Souls

Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt has collaborated with Macbeth Footwear to create a new shoe design, with all royalties from the product going to Nashville-based Soles4Souls, a charity devoted to giving free shoes to those in need that has distributed more than 5 million pairs.

"It's great to have a really incredible artist in the rock community as a part of our family," says Jimmy Throgmorton, creative marketing director at Macbeth Footwear.

The "45 RPM" shoe arrived in June, about a month after the release of Green Day's new album, "21st Century Breakdown." So far, it has sold "a couple thousand pairs," according to Throgmorton.

The black 45 RPM shoe is available in high-top or low-top, with distressed gold details. "[Dirnt] was extremely involved--almost more than any other artists I've worked with--as far as the design process," Throgmorton says. The shoe is entirely vegan-crafted, and animal products weren't used in the design or distribution process.

The shoe is available through the fall at select Journeys stores and its Web site (Journeys.com), American Rag and other retailers. The price ranges between $65 and $80, depending on the model. A third version is a high-top canvas shoe, available exclusively at Journeys.

DAVID´S SHOES OF BEVERLY HILLS ANNOUNCES SHOE DRIVE TO BENEFIT SOLES4SOULS™

Southern California residents are invited to recycle their 'gently worn' shoes for people in need.

California – Every 13 seconds, Soles4Souls, Inc. gives away another pair of shoes to someone in need. The shoe charity has earned glowing endorsements from Hollywood stars and professional athletes, but the people that truly make the non-profit organization effective are those who clean out their closets to personally drop off their ´gently worn´ shoes at a participating location, such as David´s Shoes.

Through September 20th, Soles4Souls and David´s Shoes will be collecting your gently worn footwear and/or monetary donations to ship the shoes to a person in need, whether they are victims of a natural disaster or subject to living in extreme poverty. It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. The charity can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone's life.

"We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time," Elsey said. "We need our partners in Southern California to 'STEP UP' and get behind our call for action. It´s one of the most simple yet profound gifts you can make, because it will greatly improve someone´s life in the most difficult of times," he said.

David´s Shoes owner David Jassem is excited for the opportunity to work with Soles4Souls again. Jassem first learned of the nonprofit in 2006 through the WSA, the World Shoe Association, and jumped at the chance to join the effort to collect shoes for donation. "Soles4Souls is a great charity," Jassem says, "and the response from our customers has been overwhelming! In the past few years we have collected hundreds of pairs of shoes from customers who are eager to clean out their closets. Customers love having the chance to do some good while updating their wardrobes with the season´s newest looks."

To reward our customers, David´s Shoes will be giving a 20% discount on a new pair of shoes with your donation.

Locations:

David's Shoes Beverly Hills
373 North Bedford Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.273.4075

David's Shoes South Bay
Plaza El Segundo
2008-C East Park Place
El Segundo, CA 90245
310.322.7463

David's Shoes Westlake
The Promenade at Westlake
140 Promenade Way
Westlake Village, CA 91362
805.374.9949

Redlands church fundraiser also aids shoe charity Soles4Souls

To raise social awareness as well as money for its activities, the Redlands Church of Christ is partnering through Aug. 30 with the national Soles4Souls shoe charity, which provides shoes for people in need around the world.

Church Youth Minister Jeff Partain found the organization, based in Nashville, Tenn., online while researching service projects for his youth group, which numbers 15 to 20 members.

"We felt that this was a good thing to expose our teens to as well as show the community we are reaching out so that we may add to our membership," Partain said.

"At this time of year, when we are scrambling to buy back-to-school items for our kids, we thought this fundraiser would be a good way to raise awareness about those in need of the most basic living essentials," he said.

Like many other schools and organizations, Redlands Church of Christ uses fundraising programs to generate revenue for its operations and goals. The Soles4Souls program provides an alternative to traditional fundraisers, so students can raise money while making a difference in the lives of others, Partain said.

After a kick-off at the beginning of August, students have been collecting monetary donations from family, friends, teachers and neighbors to buy new Soles4Souls clogs or flip-flops. Soles4Souls then ships the shoes to people in need.

"They have helped people in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina as well as needy children in New York City," Partain said.

For every pair of $5 flip-flops or $10 clogs sponsored, the church receives 40 percent of the proceeds from Soles4Souls, along with incentives for students and the programs they are representing, according to the organization's Web site.

Partain is running a contest in his youth group to reward those who bring in the most money with results to be announced at a Sept. 13 event.

Those who wish can visit the church's Web site, www.redlandscoc.org, to make a contribution.

The Redlands Church of Christ youth group also is raising funds for its own programs, Partain said.

"With this program, we are hoping to further plant the seed of philanthropy in our youth, congregation and community," he said.

Orphans in South Africa Receive Shoes

The ASHE Foundation, a partner of Soles4Souls, is an organization committed to changing the lives of the millions of children in African nations who have been orphaned by the devastating effects caused by HIV/AIDS.

Earlier this month, volunteers and members of The ASHE Foundation distributed 3,000 pairs of shoes to orphans in need in South Africa. We received the heart warming story and photos from Anita Campbell, the Director of Operations at The ASHE Foundation.

Greetings Soles4Souls,

On August 6th thru August 13th, The ASHE Foundation traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa and distributed over 3000 pairs of shoes to orphaned children in the city of Limpopo and Soweto, South Africa. The 1611 pairs of shoes that were donated by Souls4Soles were distributed to orphaned children in the village of Ga-Dikgale, Limpopo.

CEO Dion Fearon, myself and International singer and songwriter Kenny Lattimore washed the feet and distributed shoes to orphaned children attending the drop in centers in the villages of Limpopo, South Africa. Over 2000 orphaned children who are being raised by their older siblings (usually under the age of 17) attend these drop in centers to receive food and counseling. The children have lost their parents from the devastating effects of AIDS.

We were able wash the feet of many of the children and place new shoes donated by Soles4Souls on their feet. They were thrilled to have their feet washed and receive a new pair of shoes. Thank you for your generous donation of shoes that helped us change the lives of many children two feet at a time.

Best,

Antina Campbell
The ASHÉ Foundation
"The Power to Make Things Happen"

Kellie Pickler and Ladies' Home Journal Massive Shoe Collection for Soles4Souls

Kellie Pickler’s affinity for shoes is well documented. Her 2006 debut single kicked a no-account-ex-boyfriend to the curb in “Red High Heels,” and her current, self titled album closes with “Going Out In Style,” which expresses her desire for her final resting place...having her ashes spread in shoe department of Saks Fifth Avenue. But Pickler, whose modest upbringing allowed for little more than the basics, understands the realities of living without.


With that, Kellie continues her support of Soles4Souls and will team with Ladies’ Home Journal the “Look Good. Do Good. Feel Great” magazine, to collect new and gently worn shoes on Thursday, August 27 before her show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The drop point for the shoes will be located at entrance to the Garden and will be open from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm.

On Soles4Souls Pickler said, “I love shoes but they are more than just a fashion statement, they are a necessity and not everyone has access to them because of financial reasons or natural disaster. Whatever the situation, Soles4Souls is there to help and I’m glad to lend my support. Thanks to the wonderful people from Ladies’ Home Journal who are volunteering their time to come out and collect the shoes that people are giving.”

Pickler joins her friend Taylor Swift on the Fearless Tour 2009 for the sold out show at New York’s Madison Square Garden on August 27. Pickler and Swift wrote Pickler’s last single, “Best Days Of Your Life,” which has sold more than 700,000 digital downloads and peaked inside the Top 10.

Church Focuses on Providing Shoes

Baxter Huxley was watching television with his wife one night when he saw a commercial about a company that matches every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes for a child in need.

That got the minister of Andrew United Methodist Church in Kathleen, GA browsing the Web in search of something similar his church could do. Huxley found Soles4Souls and started a shoe drive at Andrew UMC to help those in need.

Church members contributed almost 100 pairs of shoes during the first two weeks of the shoe drive, Huxley said. He said he hopes church members bring about one pair per person. That would bring the total to 175.

The shoe drive continues until the end of the month. When it ends, volunteers will use rubber bands to keep the shoe pairs together. They plan to send the shoes to the Soles4Souls warehouse in Alabama sometime in mid-September.

The church will pay for postage to the warehouse, Huxley said. Once the shoes are sorted and ready for shipment, Soles4Souls will pay for the postage for distributing the shoes, either in other countries or here in the United States, he said.

Andrew UMC’s mission is to be “the regional church with the worldwide vision.”

In fulfilling that calling, members have built a well in Kenya, valued at about $17,000, that provides clean water to 5,000 people, Huxley said.

Huxley and church members also have worked with Houston County Habitat for Humanity to build a home. The 12 churches for which Huxley served as a liaison took about half the time it normally takes to build a Habitat house.

People of “all faiths or no faith” may participate in the shoe drive, Huxley said.

Members of the community who wish to donate can bring shoes to Andrew United Methodist Church, 2430 Ga. 127, Kathleen. To contact the church, email Baxter Huxley at bhurley99@windstream.net.

Baseball Team Collecting Shoes

The Evansville Otters in Evansville, IN along with St. Patrick's Run of Luck will hold a shoe donation drive for Soles4Souls. Soles4Souls will then donate NEW shoes to Evansville Christian Life Center and the Dream Center.

The shoe drive will take place on September 6th when the Otters play their final game of the 2009 season against the Gateway Grizzles.

The St. Patrick's Run of Luck committee is asking for the communities help in donating gently worn shoes in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record Longest Shoes Chain by collecting 10,000 pairs of shoes. Please take some time to clean out your closet and donate at least one pair of shoes knowing you can make a significant difference in the quality of life for someone in need.

For more information on the St. Patrick's Run of Luck visit http://www.runofluck7k.com/.

USA Triathlon helps Soles4Souls

USA Triathlon is teaming with Cold Stone Creamery to gather unwanted sneakers that will be donated to Soles4Souls.

The project is being held in association with the USA Triathlon Age Group and Elite National Championships, which will take place in Tuscaloosa, AL on Saturday, Aug. 22.

USAT is asking donors to place unwanted and worn out running shoes in a 4-foot container in the Cold Stone Creamery at 1130 University Blvd. For every pair donated, a person will receive a buy-one-get-one-free coupon at Cold Stone. Donations will continue until the container is full or Aug. 20, whichever comes first.

Athletes who are annual USA Triathlon members (including all 1,000 athletes in the race here) will then be allowed to enter a contest to guess the number of shoes in the container. The winner will receive a USAT prize pack valued at $1,180.

Christ UMC shoe drive to benefit Soles 4 Souls

Salisbury residents are invited to recycle their 'gently worn' shoes for people in need.

SALISBURY — Every 17 seconds, Soles4Souls Inc. gives away another pair of shoes to someone in need. The shoe charity has earned glowing endorsements from Hollywood stars and professional athletes, but the people that truly make the non-profit organization effective are those who clean out their closets to personally drop off their ‘gently worn’ shoes at a participating location, such as Christ Church.

For a limited time, Soles4Souls and Christ United Methodist Church will be collecting your gently worn footwear and/or donations to ship the shoes to a person in need, whether they are victims of a natural disaster or subject to living in extreme poverty. It is estimated that Americans have 1.5 billion pairs of unused shoes lying in their closets. The charity can use each and every one of these pairs to make a tangible difference in someone's life.

“We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time,” Elsey said. “We need our partners in Christ Church to 'STEP UP' and get behind our call for action. It’s one of the most simple yet profound gifts you can make, because it will greatly improve someone’s life in the most difficult of times,” he said.

Titans Host Buccaneers in Preseason Home Opener Saturday at LP Field - Bring Shoes To Donate!

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans return home this week to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first preseason game of 2009 at LP Field (capacity 69,143). Kickoff for the LP Boy Scouts & Girl Scouts Game is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST on Saturday, Aug. 15.

The game marks the 11th preseason opener at LP Field, which opened in 1999. The Titans are 13-7 all-time in the preseason at LP Field, including a 7-3 mark in home preseason openers. For the first time, the Titans and Louisiana Pacific Corporation (LP) are partnering with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts in the preseason opener. LP, which upon becoming a naming rights sponsor in 2006 began the tradition of honoring a non-profit during the preseason, has donated 500 game tickets to the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Representatives of LP and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will be recognized during the game with an honorary game ball.

Additionally, fans are encouraged to bring “gently-worn” shoes and donate them outside of the stadium gates in the Tennessee Titans Soles4Souls Shoe Drive.

Copperhead Grille Partners with The Shoe Box to support Soles4Souls

Copperhead Grille announced that they have partnered with The Shoe Box to host a Soles4Souls fundraising benefit at both Copperhead Grille locations in Allen and Bethlehem, PA.

The event will be held August 18, 2009 from 5 pm to 8 pm with drink and food specials for all attendees. There is no admission fee, just bring a pair of shoes (mens, ladies, and children’s shoes accepted) with a rubber band around the shoes. No shoe boxes are necessary.

Copperhead Grille in Allentown is located at 1731 Airport Road and Copperhead Grille in Bethlehem is located at 5737 Route 378.

Copperhead Grille is the Lehigh Valley’s 1st Sports Grille, a place where food and sports merge to form a mini vacation from the everyday grind. Copperhead Grille specializes in hand-cut steaks, fall off the bone ribs, and jumbo lump crab cakes.

The Shoe Box is a collection point for Soles4Souls and they are located at 4787 W. Tilghman Street, Allentown, PA 18104. They are all about bringing ’something different’ to the Lehigh Valley. The Shoe Box started up in 2006 by two sisters, Leigh Breon of Savannah and Lisa Mundy of Allentown.

Soles4Souls to Host Shoe Drive in August

Soles4Souls is collecting new shoes from shoppers at Opry Mills shopping mall during August. Shoes will be donated to the community.

Shoppers who donate new shoes will receive an Opry Mills coupon book. Shoes can be brought to the mall's guest services area.

Ten shoes autographed by celebrities shoes will be displayed during the month at OFF 5th Saks 5th Avenue and will be up for bid on eBay from noon Aug. 21 until noon Aug. 31.

On Saturday, Aug. 8, Soles4Souls will celebrate its Guinness world record that was set when the local shoe charity broke the mark for longest chain of shoes, made with nearly 20,000 pairs. Soles4Souls made the chain from its collection of new and gently used shoes last holiday season.

Activities scheduled include:

• 1-3 p.m. — Radio remote from Mix 92.9 FM

• 1-2 p.m. — The Fish, 94 FM, will present an artist on stage.

• 2:15 p.m. — Wayne Elsey, Soles4Souls CEO, will speak and be presented with the Guinness world record certificate.

• 2:30 p.m. — Tiffany Johnson performs

TENNESSEE TITANS TO HOST SHOE DRIVE TO BENEFIT SOLES4SOULS™ Inc. at LP FIELD ON August 15th

Titans Fans are asked to “STEP UP,” Clean Out their Closets and Recycle their Gently Worn Shoes

Nashville, TN – August 6, 2009 – The Tennessee Titans will again host a shoe drive to benefit Nashville-based shoe charity Soles4Souls as the Titans take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at LP Field on Saturday, August 15th, at 7:00pm. The Titans are asking fans to bring 'gently worn' shoes to the game and drop them in the seven locations outside each gate of LP Field beginning at 5:00pm through kick-off.

“We can use the shoes taking up space in your closet to change the world one pair at a time,” says Wayne Elsey, the Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls™ Inc., who is accustomed to seeing 32,000 pairs of shoes come in and out of the charity’s warehouses each week. “We need our partners in our hometown of Nashville to 'STEP UP' and get behind our call for action. It’s one of the most simple yet profound gifts you can make, because it will greatly improve someone’s life in the most difficult of times.”

The mission of Soles4Souls is to impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes. Currently, there are over 300 million children and 1.5 billion adults worldwide who are without footwear. A decent pair of footwear can help prevent puncture wounds, worms, disease and even amputation. It can lead to education opportunities for children and employment prospects for adults. The gift of shoes is profound for victims of natural disasters and those living in abject poverty. The charity’s mission is the primary reason behind its success.

This drive is the first of the Titans annual stadium drive collections for the 2009 season. Additional drives will follow, including collections of undergarments for a women’s shelter, school supplies, cell phones, coats, food, baby items and toys to benefit various non-profit agencies and those in need.

105.1 'The Buzz' Highlights Green Day's Mike Dirnt's Shoe Donation to Soles4Souls

Portland, Oregon radio station shares shoe story with its listeners. Green Day's Mike Dirnt is designing his own pair of shoes and giving all the proceeds to Soles4Souls.

Dexter Training Concepts Seeking Shoes

Rhode Island residents are invited to recycle their ‘gently worn’ shoes for people in need.

Working with Soles4Souls, Dexter Training Concepts, 1543 Mineral Spring Ave., North Providence, will accept shoes and cash donations throughout August and September.

Those who contribute will receive a free Protein Smoothie!

Rules of the protein smoothie giveaway: 1 smoothie per visit. Offer is good only until smoothie's last. You do not have to drink the smoothie. Soles4Souls is not responsible for heartburn from the smoothie. Flavors and nutritional facts of the smoothie are subject to change. Smoothie's cannot be exchanged for protein bars. Please drink smoothies responsibly.

New Balance Fox Valley Shoe Drive Under Way

New Balance Fox Valley in Appleton, Wisconsin is hosting a shoe drive now through Aug. 31 to benefit Soles4Souls. New Balance Fox Valley will be collecting gently worn footwear and/or donations to ship the shoes to people in need.

Footwear may be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays at New Balance Fox Valley, 1861 N. Casaloma Drive, (Trasino Village), Appleton.

During the shoe drive, New Balance Fox Valley offers a 10 percent off coupon to all customers who bring in gently worn pairs of shoes toward the effort. The coupon can be used at New Balance Fox Valley and Vanderloop Shoes locations.

Mount Werner Classic Goes Green

The Mount Werner Classic in Steamboat Springs, Colorado has made a huge effort to be more of an environmentally friendly event. The 5 and 12 mile race has completely eliminated cups from this year’s race by using handheld water bottles. They will also use biodegradable flatwear and napkins, and organic food will be served.

Other efforts include recycling old trail and road running shoes at the start. Gently worn shoes will be donated to Soles4Souls.

Preregistration is available at www.runningseries.com or until noon today at Ski Haus. Race-day registration begins at 7:30 a.m. Saturday in Gondola Square. The 12-mile run begins at 8 a.m. with the 5-mile run to start at 8:30 a.m.

Green Day's Mike Dirnt Designs Shoe for Soles4Souls

Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt has hooked up with Macbeth Footwear on a ‘studio project’ collaboration known as the 45 RPM, a new shoe designed to reflect Dirnt’s edge and style. The really cool part is that Dirnt is donating all royalties from sales to Soles4Souls.

The “45 RPM” Studio Project shoe hit the streets worldwide in June 2009, following the release of Green Day’s recent album, 21st Century Breakdown.

Using footwear lingo, the 45 RPM comes in the lax low top or aggressive high top – either way it’s totally rock n’ roll, which is not technically footwear lingo.

Both shoe options are 100 percent vegan-crafted, containing zero animal products in the construction and distribution. The shoe comes in black, but is highlighted with distressed gold lining and eyelets, and even showcases custom “45 RPM” record artwork.

“We are so excited to be a part of this incredible promotion,” said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. “We are very grateful for Mike Dirnt’s generosity and encourage everyone to check out the 45 RPM,” he said.

The “45 RPM” is selling at select Journeys stores and online at http://www.journeys.com/.