Shoes on the Mall

Thirty thousand pairs of shoes were laid out around the reflecting pool near the U.S. Capitol to draw attention to the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. Each pair of shoes represented 100 lives lost.

Students from Loudoun County's Briar Woods High School (Ashburn, VA) collected the shoes, which will be distributed by Soles4Souls to Sudan and other parts of the world.

"The work that the students put in prior to this event really means so much," said Paul Wilson, president of the Soles4Souls World Outreach Division. "Some people do not have one pair of shoes."

Many of the shoes will be distributed in Sudan, with the rest given to homeless shelters, missions and international aid organizations across North America and other parts of the world. The remainders that are unacceptable for distribution will be recycled for playground surfaces.

Nick Carmean, 17, a senior at Briar Woods, said: "History teaches us that you have to pay attention to world events, and with the genocide taking place in Darfur, you have to do something about it."

Carmean was a student in Logan Williams's international relations class, which spearheaded the project. Former heavy weight boxing champion Riddick Bowe and Nyasha Zimucha, Miss Africa USA 2008-09, were also on hand for the event.

Proud Volunteers from Sudan

Three Sudanese students have been eagerly helping Soles4Souls 'change the world one pair at a time' by donating a little time at the Roanoke, AL distribution center.

Stephen Dokolo, Bullen Timo and Andrew Elispana are in United States to further their education at Southern Union State Community College in Wadley, Alabama. Four Corners Ministry put the students through high school in Uganda, where the students earned their diplomas, allowing them to be approved for admission into Southern Union.

Paul Wilson, the President of World Outreach Division at Soles4Souls, first met Bullen, Andrew and Stephen in 2005 when he traveled to Sudan to distribute shoes to the needy.

"I am appreciative of Soles4Souls, it is so hot and the ground burns our feet," stated Stephen. "The closest thing I compare it to for Americans, it is like having a new set of tires for your car."

The three students have just completed their first week of school and are now volunteering some time in the warehouse as a way to give back for the generosity shown to them through Soles4Souls.

"In Sudan we could not get a pair of shoes even if we had money," said Bullen. "These shoes are life changing. They protect our feet from infection and injury."

The students have been helping to sort, pack and ship donated shoes, many that will end up in Sudan. Andrew Elispana hopes that he can help those in his home country.

"I so much want to share my appreciation for how I have been helped with the gift of shoes so it is with great joy I can work with Soles4Souls here," he said.

Deckers Joins Soles4Souls Million Pair March With A Goal To Collect 250,000 Pairs Locally

Deckers Outdoor Corporation is proud to support Soles4Souls Million Pair March campaign by mobilizing the local community to collect 250,000 of new and used footwear. Collected shoes from the Million Pair March will be distributed to individuals in disaster-driven areas like the Gulf Coast and the Third World like Sudan and Honduras. Since their start over 30 years ago, Deckers has strived to find balance in their environmental responsibilities and business practices.

"Deckers Outdoor Corporation is filled with compassionate people who have a huge heart for reaching out to their community and the world at large," said Wayne Elsey, Founder of Soles4Souls. "Since our very beginning they have been instrumental in helping us reach millions of people, and we are humbled by their incredible participation in this campaign."

Members of the Santa Barbara community can join Deckers in their mission by donating new, old or unwanted footwear at numerous locations around the Santa Barbara area. Thus far, drop off bins for footwear donations are available at the Deckers Goleta based office, Santa Barbara Zoo, UCSB Bren School, and our partnering retailers like Santa Barbara Outfitters and Santa Barbara Running Co.

"If we look in our closets, we might be embarrassed by the number of shoes we own that rarely, if ever, get worn." Says Angel Martinez, CEO and President of Deckers Outdoor Corp. "Why not donate those pairs to people in need? And the best part for us shoe lovers is that we then get to buy some new shoes, guilt-free!"

Christian Family Radio hosting shoe drive

Bowling Green, KY - WCVK (90.7) announced that they will be hosting a shoe drive for Soles4Souls that will last until the end of June. The shoes will be delivered to poverty stricken areas of Sudan in late July.


"Our goal is to have a million pair of shoes shipped to that region by the end of the year," stated founder and CEO of Soles4Soles, Wayne Elsey. "You can see sixty to seventy thousand people with basically nothing in one of the many refugee camps in Sudan. We are putting a pair of shoes on their feet to give them a firm foundation and to let them know that we care about them."


More than 300 million children around the world do not have a single pair of shoes. Yet Americans have more than 1.5 billion pairs of unwanted shoes in their closets. You can make a difference by donating new or gently worn shoes or flip-flops in mens, womens and childrens of all sizes. Participants can drop off their shoes at the CFR Studios in Bowling Green, Lifeway Christian store in Owensboro or Papa John's in Glasgow.