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.

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.

Titan Hands Out Hundreds Of Free Pairs Of Shoes

Soles4Souls along with Shoe Carnival donated more than a thousand pair of clogs to the Nashville Rescue Mission.

Tennessee Titan All-Pro Safety Chris Hope went to the mission to help pass out free clogs to those less fortunate.

Hope has been the National Spokesman for Soles4Souls for three years, and he said giving away free shoes gave him a sense of purpose far past football.

"I'm here in Nashville, but I'm blessing people across the country by passing our shoes, but Soles4Souls has been doing it for many years and they've blessed many people and I'm glad to be a part of it," said Hope.

The safety donates $100 per tackle to Soles4Souls, the Nashville charity that gives away shoes to those in need. Hope has donated almost $30,000 to the organization himself.

"Anytime I'm donating money, that means I'm playing good so it's a blessing," said Hope.
A blessing to people like 29-year-old Adam Perkins, who's overcoming a drug addiction and has high praise for the Titan that gives his time to Soles4Souls.

"I'd like to say to Chris - thank you very much and God Bless you brother," said Perkins.

Join Soles4Souls and Chris Hope for a "Night with the Secondary"

Team Strategies announces the 1st Annual Chris Hope “Night with the Secondary” to benefit Soles4Souls on Thursday, December 4, 2008 from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at Shogun Steakhouse in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Come join Chris and the entire Tennessee Titans secondary for an evening of fun, fabulous food, and festivities while raising money for a great cause. Chris and Cortland Finnegan, Michael Griffin, Nick Harper and many more will “tackle” the task of cooking for you, pose for photographs, sign autographs and generally yuck it up while guests bid on some unique and priceless silent auction items.

Chris has donated his time to Soles4Souls by distributing shoes to those in need in the Nashville area. He also recently donated $8,000.00 to help purchase shoes for those in need.

Shogun, one of Tennessee’s largest Japanese Steakhouses, offers the thrill and tranquility of Japanese dining all under one roof. The hibachi tables seat 10 people each and the players will display their newly acquired training as an official hibachi Chef with performances of chopping and dicing. The 4-course hibachi dinner will include an appetizer, soup, salad and vegetables, along with steak, seafood and chicken.

Individual Tickets are $100.00 or $900.00 for a table of 10. Space is limited. Shogun Restaurant is located at 1638 Westgate Circle, Brentwood, Tennessee 37207. Contact Team Strategies at 615-321-4073 or teamstrategies@comcast.net to purchase tickets.

NFL Safety Chris Hope Visits School to Congratulate Students

Last Monday night on the national stage, NFL All-Pro Safety Chris Hope had the game of his dreams. After weeks of waiting for that first interception of the season, Chris doubled his dreams by having the first “two-interception” game of his career, facing off against Peyton Manning in the seventh Titans win of the season, a 31-21 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

The next morning, instead of celebrating the team’s 7-0 success, Chris was at Page High School in Franklin, Tennessee, to congratulate the students on their fundraising achievements for Soles4Souls. As a Soles4Souls Spokesperson, Chris attended their “Barefoot Day”, a pep rally where the students assembled on the football field after leaving their “gently used” shoes on the field as a donation to the charity.

The excitement of Chris attending the pep rally was overwhelming as the students passed by him to donate their shoes. Once students were assembled on the bleachers, Chris took the microphone, asking how many of them had watched the game the night before. The stands erupted in cheers and high fives. Chris then talked about the Soles4Souls mission and reiterated that there are 300 million children in the world who have never owned a pair of shoes, while almost the same number of shoes are tossed into American landfills each year.

Chris thanked the students for their support of the non-profit and praised them for taking their time to help the needy in our community. He ended his talk by asking the students to give their best “Go Titans” cheer on his count of three. The roar was deafening, earning the students a winning “Chris Hope” smile that rivaled the smile on his face following his Monday night interceptions.

The Soles4Souls “Barefoot Day” culminated a month-long series of events and programs hosted by DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) at Page High school to raise funds for and bring awareness to those in need. The Soles4Souls program provides an innovative alternative to traditional fundraisers, so students are able to raise money for their school group while making a significant difference in the lives of others.

Chris Hope, in addition to donating his time and support to Soles4Souls, donates $100.00 for each tackle and he uses his weekly Monday night radio show on 106.7, The Fan, an ESPN affiliate, to promote the cause. He recently donated $8,000.00 to Soles4Souls for his success on the field for the 2007 season. The 2008 season already looks to be a good one for the charity and for the Titans.

NFL Star hosts Back-to-School Event with YES and Soles4Souls

Jevon Kearse, the star defensive end for the Tennessee Titans, received a thunderous ovation from fans at his first game back since 2003. The “welcome-back” Jevon tour continued when he hosted a back-to-school event at Youth Encouragement Services (YES) for over 100 needy children of the metroNashville area.

Kearse partnered with YES, Soles4Souls and the local community for a special day with children, many of whom reside in the nearby J.C. Napier and Tony Sudekum public housing complexes. In addition to giving away school supplies, sandals and backpacks, Kearse also organized a pizza party and free back-to-school haircuts from local barbers.

Greeting the children with smiles and hugs, Kearse also took pictures and signed autographs for every child in attendance.

Kearse said while he was growing up, he didn’t have any professional athletes come back and speak to him. He believes that by kids being able to meet him and see a real life Titan, they too will know anything is possible.

"We didn't have anybody come back to show their face, somebody's who's been where I've been to give them some enlightenment that there are going to be better days, and that it's okay to dream," said Kearse.

YES, a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children in inner-city Nashville, operates three centers that offer educational and recreational programs as alternatives for kids during after school hours, weekends and summer break. The programs offered by YES effectively keep children living in the inner-city off the street, giving them a safe place to go where they can engage in social, educational and cultural activities.

“By Jevon holding this event and donating his time and resources to these children is really a blessing,” said Daryl Elliott, center director of the Lindsley YES location. “Just to have the opportunity to have school supplies provided for each one of these families helps them to be able to spend their funds on other necessities as they prepare for this upcoming school year.”

NFL Star and Shoe Carnival Join Soles4Souls

Shoe Carnival and Albert Haynesworth, the All Pro defensive tackle for the Tennesse Titans are teaming up with Soles4Souls to help provide those in need with the gift of shoes.

Haynesworth will be on-hand at Shoe Carnival in Nashville on Tuesday, June 24 from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM to sign one autograph for each pair of new or "gently worn" shoes that are donated to Soles4Souls.

New shoes will be available in select styles and clearance prices starting at $5.00 at the following participating Shoe Carnival location: Cool Springs Galleria, 7085 Bakers Bridge Avenue, Franklin, TN, 37067.

Haynesworth hosted a signing earlier this year at Shoe Carnival that drew over 500 fans. He hopes that even more fans will come out to participate in this worthy cause.

"The last signing had a wonderful turnout, so I thought it would be a great idea to give back to a worthy cause like Soles4Souls at the same time," said Haynesworth. "I know that fans will clean out their closets and keep me very busy signing autographs all day."

"We are happy to offer Shoe Carnival customers the opportunity to meet Albert and donate their shoes to Soles4Souls," said Steve Meyer, Senior Vice President of Store Operations. "Soles4Souls' mission to provide shoes for those in need is a message that resonates with our customers. We hope this will be a memorable experience for everyone involved."

"We are thrilled that Albert and Shoe Carnival have chosen to partner with Soles4Souls," said Wayne Elsey, Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls. "The shoes donated by Albert's fans will make a huge impact on the lives of thousands of people in desperate need."

Tennessee Titan helps out Soles4Souls

NFL Safety Chris Hope stopped by the Nashville Rescue Mission in between a busy day of team workouts on Wednesday to participate in the Soles4Souls Shoe Donation, an event benefiting local persons in need by providing them with new pairs of shoes. A strong supporter of the organization, Hope pledged $100 for every tackle he made in 2007 to Souls4Souls, accumulating in a $6,000 donation. Hope will again pledge $100 for every tackle he makes in 2008.

Held in the usual game lounge for visitors of the Mission, Soles4Souls provided 1,000 pairs of new shoes to residents of the Nashville community. The event marked the third shoe distribution within the past 10 months in the charity’s ongoing commitment to those in need of one of our most overlooked necessities — shoes. Hope helped recipients try on shoes, find the right style and locate the right sizes, all the while providing words of encouragement.

Founder and CEO of Soles4Souls Wayne Elsey commented on how much it meant to the participants to have Hope lending his time to the event.

“Having Chris involved lets them (today's recipients) know that they are important to him. To give them a pair of shoes, something that we take for granted everyday, will help them out in the future and help put a smile on their face,” said Elsey.

Inspired by the large turnout, Hope talked about what it meant to him personally to be involved with the shoe drive and why Soles4Souls is one of his favorite organizations.

“Working with Soles4Souls gives me the chance to give my time, meet people in need, and touch them in a different way. When you give someone a pair of shoes, you can see their faces light up, almost like they're a kid again,” said Hope.

“I consider it a real blessing to be involved in something like this, and I’m thankful I was able to participate.”

The Titans hosted a Shoe Drive to benefit Soles4Souls this past season versus the Houston Texans on Sunday, Dec. 2 at LP Field. Titans fans helped donate approximately 7,400 shoes during the drive to benefit events and non-profit organizations such as the Nashville Rescue Mission.

Shoes Collected at Titans Game

Tennessee Titans Fans attending last Sunday's game vs the Houston Texans donated over 3,000 pairs of shoes to Soles4Souls. 40 volunteers at 6 collection points were used during a 4-hour duration at LP field. An equal number of the shoes collected will stay in the middle Tennessee area.

“Soles4Souls would like to thank the kind and giving people of Middle Tennessee for supplying such a simple gift, the gift of shoes," stated David Graben, the manager of events at Soles4Souls. "We have currently distributed over 4,500 pairs of shoes to the Nashville Men’s and Women’s Rescue Missions, Elementary Schools, YWCA and the TN School for the Blind in the past six months. This with numerous smaller individual distributions will continue to be a key focus of our organization, helping people in our hometown of Nashville Tennessee, as well as around the world.”

There was tremendous feedback from the Titans organization regarding the shoe collection. Soles4Souls and The Titans plan to make this an annual event at LP Field and be on the ticket for the 2008/2009 season.

Titans Keith Bulluck named Walter Payton Man of the Year

The Tennessee Titans announced today that linebacker Keith Bulluck has been named the 2007 Titans Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner. This is Bulluck’s second consecutive year to garner the award as he was selected by a majority vote from his teammates, Titans staff, members of the news media and local non-profit and community executives for his dedicated community service.

“I am pleased that Keith is being recognized for more than he does on the field," said Coach Jeff Fisher. "He is a terrific player and is committed to making our community a better place.”

The Keith Bulluck Believe & Achieve Foundation raises thousands of dollars on an annual basis to benefit children in foster care as well as underprivileged children. He also recently hosted a VIP reception at Johnston and Murphy where proceeds from this event benefited his foundation as well as Soles4Souls. Both organizations are non profit and are committed to making a difference in the lives of others.

For the younger kids, Bulluck hosts an annual “Back to School” Book Bag Party to promote the importance of education and being prepared for school. He invited foster children from the Department of Children Services to a 2007 Titans training camp visit, where they were able to watch practice, get autographs and receive book bags and school supplies for the upcoming school year. Bulluck donated 300 book bags filled with school supplies and also donated 600 pairs of shoes through Soles4Souls to these children in DCS custody.

Tennessee Titans supporting Soles4Souls

Nashville, TN - Cumulus Media and ESPN 106.7 The Fan announced the return of Offense/Defense with NFL Running Back Chris Brown and NFL All Pro Safety, Chris Hope. The radio show will air Monday nights at 6:00 PM at Nashville area Applebee’s Restaurant locations.

This will be the second year for the radio show and will feature Chris Brown and Chris Hope discussing the game as well as fan phone calls with host Jonathan Shaffer. Fans are also invited out to watch the show and to meet the players.

The show will be based at several Nashville area Applebee’s Restaurants. The 2007 schedule is :
9/10 Spring Hill
9/17 Opryland
9/24 No Show
10/1 No Show
10/8 Hermitage
10/15 Thompson Lane
10/22 Harding Place
10/29 Madison
11/5 Hendersonville
11/12 Bellevue
11/19 No Show
11/26 Hickory Hollow
12/3 Opryland
12/10 Nippers Corner
12/17 Spring Hill

In addition, Brown and Hope announce their support of the Nashville-based charity Soles4Souls™ Inc., the global organization dedicated to providing free footwear to people in need all over the world. Chris Brown has pledged to donate $100 for each first down and Chris Hope has pledged $100 for each tackle during the 2007 NFL season.

To support Brown and Hope’s charity efforts, Cumulus Media will run Soles4Souls PSA’s recorded by the players for the entire season.

About SOLES4SOULS
Nashville-based Soles4Souls™ facilitates the donations of shoes, which is used to aid the hurting worldwide. The organization has distributed more than 2.5 million pairs of shoes since January 2005 (or one pair of shoes every 28 seconds). Shoe companies, retailers, and individuals can donate both new and “gently worn” footwear. Soles4Souls is a 501(c)(3) recognized by the IRS; donating parties are eligible for tax advantages. For more information about Soles4Souls, please call (866) 521-SHOE, or visit www.giveshoes.org or www.soles4souls.org

For more information, please contact:
Kim Dettwiller, Team Strategies, 615-321-4073, mhtml:%7BD4EE4306-E560-45D3-83DE-927B0E981FD9%7Dmid://00000251/!x-usc:mailto:kimdet@comcast.net

Charity softball game a hit

Thanks to coach Jeff Fisher, Soles4Souls was able to collect over 400 pairs of shoes at the seventh annual “Jeff Fisher & Friends” Charity Softball Game. Fisher, who is very excited about the cause, invited the local charity to collect new and 'gently worn shoes' to be distributed locally and to poverty stricken areas all over the world.

The annual Tennessee Titans charity softball game may have ended in a tie, but everyone came out a winner. Fans packed Greer Stadium Saturday night for the chance to watch their favorite Titans compete in the game that featured present and former members of the Tennessee Titans. Players competed against one another on the baseball diamond, while also helping the community.

Around 25 Titans came out to support their head coach, including Vince Young, Ben Troupe and Chris Hope. They were joined by former Titans Eddie George and Chris Sanders.

“I wanted to come out because this is a good thing for charity and I also wanted to help Coach Fisher out,” said Chris Brown. “Anything that has to do with charity and is a positive influence I am more than happy to help. I’m definitely happy to be back.”

Former Titan and fan favorite Eddie George received a warm welcome from the crowd, with chants of “Eddie, Eddie” as he was introduced in the lineup.

“It’s always good to come out and support Coach Fisher, whatever he is doing,” said George. “It’s been a while since I’ve been around these guys, so it’s always good.”

For the first time in seven years, the game ended in a tie. After playing 11 innings, with the score tied 8-8, Fisher decided to call it a game. That didn't seem to bother anybody as everyone had a great time supporting all Titans and the local charities.

Soles4Souls is looking forward to future endeavors with the community minded Titans. Stay tuned!

Tennessee Titans to team up with Soles4Souls

Comcast Cable proudly announces players for the 2007 Comcast "Jeff Fisher & Friends" Charity Softball Game Presented by Regions Bank. The charity softball game is set for Saturday, June 23, 2007 at 7 PM at Greer Stadium.

"Friends" include Vince Young, Chris Hope, David Thornton, Kevin Mawae, Craig Hentrich, Keith Bulluck, Ben Troupe, Kerry Collins, Lamont Thompson, Cooper Wallace, Kenny Amato, Donnie Nickey, Danial Loper, Coach Norm Chow, Coach Alan "Music City Miracle" Lowry and Coach Steve Watterson. Other Alumni "Friends" include Steve McNair, Frank Wycheck and Chris Sanders. More players will be announced next week.

New this year, the Nashville-based charity, Soles4Souls Inc., the global organization dedicated to providing free footwear to people in need all over the world, will be conducting a shoe drive at the charity softball game for the Million Pair March campaign. Soles4Souls will be manning drop boxes and the Soles4Souls delivery truckwill be at the main gate at Greer Stadium so that fans may donate their shoes to this worthy cause.

Soles4Souls is asking fans to each donate one pair of new or 'gently worn' shoes and/or money for shipping the shoes to the Sudan, a notoriously poverty and war stricken area of the world. The first drop is scheduled for the Fall 2007 in the refugee camps of Southern Sudan, with more to follow. The Million Pair March has already been endorsed by some of Hollywood's finest, including Don Cheadle, Jessica Alba, Melissa Rivers, and Scarlett Johansson, who graciously had Reebok donate 2,000 pairs of shoes in her name to the cause.

Gates will open at 5:00 PM and parking is free. Early arrivals can watch pre-game activities such as an exhibition game played by the Little League Softball Clubs, the "Hit it Out of the Park"contest between the NFL Players. Admission is $10.00 for General Admission and $15.00 for Reserved Seats. In addition, the game has added a Kids' ticket, 12 and under, for $6.00. Tickets are on sale now through The Nashville Sounds ticket office or bycalling at 615/242-4371. Show your KrogerPlus card, Military or StudentID and get $1 off. For more event information, please go to http://www.nashvillesounds.com/ or http://www.titansonline.com/.